How to avoid stomach diseases this summer

Campylobacter bacteria are found mainly in chicken meat. This bacteria is a common cause of stomach illness and more people get sick from Campylobacter bacteria during the summer.

According to our food inspectors, the most important tips to avoid stomach upset when grilling can be summarized in three points:

Use a cooler bag.

If you bring food to grill and it takes a while to start grilling, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Use a cooler bag with as many cooling pads as possible and make sure the cooler bag is at the correct temperature before removing the food from the refrigerator.

Look at the food what the recommended temperature is. The advice is to have a thermometer in your bag to check it.

Grill food properly

It can be difficult to tell whether or not what’s on the grill is fully cooked by looking at it. Ground meat in particular can be a bit tricky as the ground meat can brown and cook before it’s hot enough.

No matter what you grill, you can get sick if bacteria remains in the food, but at 72 degrees most common bacteria die.

If you are going to grill frozen meat, it is important that it is thawed properly. If the meat is not completely thawed, it may be perfectly grilled on the outside but still half-spoiled on the inside. Then there is the risk of bacteria that can make us sick being left alive.

When meat is marinated, bacteria can be transferred from the meat to the marinade. Therefore, it is not advisable to brush or pour previously used marinade onto finished roast meat.

Be careful with hand hygiene.

We may have learned to think about this pandemic, but it still needs to be emphasized, the importance of not spreading bacteria beyond our hands.

Using tongs and keeping your hands clean is a good way to reduce the risk of transferring bacteria to your food.

You can find more information about Atif at Swedish Food Agency Link to another site, opens in a new window. And Public Health Authority Link to another site, opens in a new window..