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BARBECUE FOOD RISKS BLAMED ON GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming holds an additional risk to the people of Britain, according to an article in the May 2005 issue of Microbiology Today, the quarterly magazine of the Society for General Microbiology. Rises in temperature and longer days mean that more of us will be tempted by the lure of the barbecue, which could be followed by an unwelcome dose of food poisoning. Already, at the first sign of sun, people dust down the grill and head outside to cook. "Each year some atavistic urge causes normally sane and sensible people to rush outside to cook," explains Professor Martin Adams, of the University of Surrey. "And with the British weather warming up, there is potential for increased risks of food poisoning, not to mention other hazards, from barbecues." "A recent study has already shown that as the temperature increases, the number of infections from Campylobacter increases," says Professor Adams. "And one of the factors thought to be responsible for this is increased barbecue use." One food poisoning risk factor unique to barbecues is that the cook is frequently not the usual household food handler and therefore may not be the most knowledgeable in matters of food hygiene. "An increase in public awareness of the risks from food poisoning might lead to improved food safety practices at home," says Professor Adams. Key rules, such as washing hands after handling raw foods and the use of different utensils for raw and cooked products, should still be observed in the garden. Britain is a nation of gardeners, but do they know all that is going on invisibly in their back yards? This issue of Microbiology Today focuses on microbes in the garden. Pick up a free copy of the magazine at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2005 from the Society's stand in the Floral Marquee.
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