This article was updated on 31 May - please see below
GP and TV doctor Sarah Jarvis has issued a warning to anybody planning to have a BBQ this weekend. Millions of Brits will be coming together to celebrate the Jubilee over the weekend, and for many, that means throwing some burgers and sausages on the barbeque.
But many people are unaware that guests could end up with food poisoning, due to poor hygiene and dirty equipment. According to a study by Karcher, 38 per cent of Brits admit the grill on their BBQ is dirty, with almost a fifth (19 per cent) describing it as absolutely filthy - yet one in ten (11 per cent) have no plans to clean it before they use it next.
In fact on average, it’s been eight months since Brits took the grill off the BBQ and gave it a good clean, despite Britons cleaning their indoor oven every six and a half weeks on average. Sixteen per cent of the 1,500 Britons polled admit they’ve left the BBQ dirty over winter and then instead of cleaning it as recommended, have simply wiped off the mould or leftover burnt bits before starting to cook.
READ MORE: Tesco issues one-day warning to anybody with a Clubcard
One in ten (12 per cent) admit the cleanliness of their BBQ equipment hasn’t been given a second thought, despite the Food Standard Agency advising that warm weather and outdoor cooking create the perfect storm for food poisoning.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, who has appeared on Good Morning Britain and The One Show, said: “When the sun is shining there’s nothing better than firing up the BBQ with family and friends, but food poisoning can easily become an unwelcome guest. Leaving grills unwashed could lead to harmful bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella, listeria and some types of E. coli forming so it’s imperative to make sure that you clean down your BBQ each time you use it”
When it comes to the reasons why people put off cleaning the grill on their BBQ, 34 per cent admit it takes so long to do, while 34 per cent say it’s a total nightmare cleaning between all the bars.
Thirty one per cent claim it’s the messiest household task, while 27 per cent hate it so much that they describe it as the worst job ever. Almost a fifth polled confessed to having thrown a BBQ away and buying a new one instead of cleaning it.
The research by Kärcher further reveals that a third of the nation admits they have no idea what the temperature of their BBQ should be before they begin cooking – despite a high temperature being essential for killing off bacteria. One in ten admit they’ve often undercooked sausages and burgers, while eight per cent are guilty of undercooking chicken.
And food hygiene standards drop even lower when it comes to preparing a typical British BBQ, with over a quarter (26 per cent) confessing to leaving food that needs to be kept cool - like butter, mayo and cheese, to bake in the sun all afternoon. 14 per cent don’t wash their hands after putting raw meat on the grill and cook their veggie and vegan dishes in the same spot they used for meat products. More than one in ten (12 per cent) have kept tongs or accessories stored on the BBQ without ever washing them.
So it’s no surprise that almost a fifth of Britons (18 per cent) have been unlucky and suffered from food poisoning at a BBQ - whether at a friend or family’s house or at their own. One in two Brits (51 per cent) think many people are completely unaware of the potential health dangers of not BBQing safely. However, 80 per cent say they would be racked with guilt if they made one of their guests ill - although 15 per cent claim that “these things happen”.
Harry Turner, Product Manager at Kärcher who commissioned the poll said: “We know that cleaning the BBQ is never anyone’s favourite task however, we were surprised that so many Brits were unaware of the health dangers that can come from leaving their grills grimy. We wanted to put together this handy guide to help the nation clean their BBQs as quickly as possible so they can get on with enjoying the long bank holiday weekend."
A previous version of this article had an incorrect lead text and this has now been corrected to warn that guests could end up with poisoning.
