FSA Warns That ‘It Looks Done’ Is Not Enough at the BBQ

A barbecue can make food look ready before it is safe to eat. That is the central message of a new food-safety warning from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which highlights undercooked meat, cross-contamination and warm-weather storage as recurring risks during outdoor meals.

The announcement is preventive guidance rather than a product recall, but it is timely for anyone cooking outdoors. UKHSA figures cited by the agencies show that confirmed Salmonella cases in England reached their highest level in ten years in 2024 and remained at a similar level in 2025. Confirmed Campylobacter cases were also higher than normal in both years. These infections often become more likely during summer, when food is prepared outside, served over long periods and exposed to heat.

Why colour and grill marks are unreliable

The FSA’s first warning is simple: do not judge doneness by the outside of the food. Chicken, burgers and sausages can brown or char quickly while the centre is still undercooked. The agency recommends checking the thickest part with a clean food thermometer and reaching at least 75°C. If you do not have a thermometer, cut into the thickest section: the meat should be steaming hot throughout, with no pink remaining and clear juices.

That check matters particularly for poultry and minced meat. Bacteria can be present throughout a burger or sausage, not only on the surface, so a seared exterior is not enough. Whole cuts of red meat are different: the FSA says they may be served pink in the centre when the outside has been adequately seared. For a broader explanation of safe cooking temperatures and visual checks, the agency’s cooking guidance sets out the relevant time-and-temperature combinations for different foods.

The utensil mistake that is easy to make

Outdoor cooking often involves one pair of tongs, one plate and several people helping. That creates a straightforward route for bacteria from raw meat to cooked food. The FSA advises using separate tongs, knives, chopping boards and serving plates for raw ingredients and food that is ready to eat. Wash your hands after handling raw meat, and do not place cooked food back on the plate that carried it to the grill.

The same principle applies to marinades. If a marinade has touched raw meat, do not brush it over cooked food unless it has first been boiled. Keeping a small portion of unused marinade aside for serving is the simpler option.

Keep the cooler in the shade

Heat is another part of the risk. The agencies advise storing food in a cool bag with ice packs, keeping it out of direct sunlight and avoiding leaving it outside in warm weather for more than two hours. Cooked chicken, egg dishes and prepared salads such as rice salad, potato salad and coleslaw need particular attention because they can become unsafe as they warm up.

It is also worth separating drinks from perishable food in a cooler. Frequent opening lets cold air escape, while a dedicated food container can keep raw ingredients sealed and away from ready-to-eat items. After the meal, refrigerate leftovers promptly rather than leaving them on the table for guests to graze on.

A practical barbecue sequence

The advice becomes easier to follow when it is turned into a short routine:

Wash your hands and clean the grill, utensils and preparation surfaces before cooking.
Keep raw meat sealed and chilled until it is ready to go on the grill.
Put raw and ready-to-eat foods on separate plates, using different utensils for each.
Cook poultry, burgers and sausages thoroughly, checking the thickest part with a thermometer.
Move cooked food to a clean plate and keep salads, egg dishes and leftovers chilled.
Discard perishable food that has been left in warm conditions beyond the recommended time.

US food-safety guidance makes the same practical point: grill marks can make food look finished before it has reached a safe internal temperature. FoodSafety.gov’s grilling advice also recommends separating raw and cooked foods, using a clean serving dish and checking meat, poultry and fish with a thermometer.

Protect guests who face higher risks

Young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system are more likely to become seriously ill from food poisoning. For a shared barbecue, the safest approach is to make the food-safety routine visible to everyone: one clearly marked raw-food area, one clean serving area and a thermometer kept beside the grill rather than in a drawer.

The FSA and UKHSA also remind people who have diarrhoea or vomiting not to prepare food for others. They should wait until at least 48 hours after symptoms have cleared before returning to food preparation or work. That final precaution is easy to overlook, but it prevents a personal illness from becoming a group outbreak.

The announcement’s lesson is not to abandon outdoor cooking. It is to treat appearance as a serving cue, not a safety test. A clean thermometer, separate utensils and a shaded cooler do more to protect a barbecue than a darker crust ever can.