Thousands of people in Nottinghamshire could be putting their health at risk because of the way they cook barbecue burgers.
The Food Standards Agency says a survey of local meat eaters suggested too many like or accept meat which is rare when it should be cooked through.
The agency’s phone poll discovered around one in four respondents in Notts said they would eat a burger which wasn’t fully done.
And one in 10 said they actually prefer burgers cooked like this.
The agency said it was worried people could fall ill during what is expected to be a warm and dry end to August as barbecue lovers take advantage of the last of the summer sun.
Hot weather and the last Bank Holiday of summer means thousands are expected to grill up
Steve Wearne, director of policy at the agency, “It’s important that people realise that burgers are not like steak. Harmful bacteria can be carried on the surface of cuts of meat. When a rare steak is seared these bacteria are killed, but burger meat is minced so bacteria from the surface of the raw meat gets mixed all the way through the burger.
“These bacteria can remain alive on the inside, unless the burger is fully cooked through, no matter how good quality and expensive the meat.”
Around a 750,000 adults live in Nottinghamshire, suggesting as many as 187,500 people across the city and council have the wrong idea about how safe barbecue meat is, according to the agency’s survey statistics.
Ways to a better BBQ burger: Advice from the FSA
- Only start when coals are hot and glowing red with a grey powdery surface
- Cook burgers all the way through – until steaming hot throughout
- Make sure there is no pink meat in the middle and juices run clear
A further 61 per cent of people who answered the survey said they undercooked burgers at home, and a third thought eating a rare burger was the same as a rare steak when it came to food poisoning risk.
The agency did not say exactly how many people had taken part in the survey.
