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Safety Standards for BBQs

Posted on Tuesday 6th July 2010

The CIEH has launched new guidance on outdoor and mobile catering to help promote best practice in food safety and health and safety at outdoor events.

The guidance aims to provide the basis for a commonly agreed, consistent national standard in outdoor catering management.

Sharon Smith, CIEH strategic projects director, said: ?Catering at outdoor events is a high-risk activity. Large numbers of people, frequent use of temporary staff, the temporary nature of the accommodation and high-risk products for sale place specific pressure on food and health and safety management.

?The nature of these events and the uncertainties of the UK weather mean that environmental conditions are an added challenge to traders. Experience at some of the largest outdoor events, such as the Olympics, has emphasised the risks associated with food handling and cross-contamination under these circumstances.?

Each event poses different challenges, but the CIEH hopes that the guidance will enable clearer planning of the environmental health response to outdoor event catering.

The guidance has been produced by the CIEH Olympic Working Group but it is anticipated that it will also be used for other international, regional, and local events.

The CIEH National Guidance for Outdoor and Mobile Catering includes downloadable templates, check lists and pro-forma letters to help LAs manage outdoor events.

www.cieh.org/policy/guidance_outdoor_mobile_catering.html

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS  02 July 2010