Sausage Sizzles and Barbecues

Sausage sizzles and barbecues are a popular way to raise money for charities and community groups. They are often held outdoors to take advantage of Australia's good weather and open spaces. Provided you take some simple food safety precautions and sell freshly cooked food straight from the barbecue, the food should be safe.

Preparing and cooking food safely:

• Take the following precautions at sausage sizzles and barbecues to ensure that food is safe.
• Finish preparing raw meat before leaving for the site such as slicing, marinating or skewering.
• Pack raw meat into insulated boxes with ice blocks for transportation.
• Handle food with tongs or other equipment. Use separate equipment to handle raw and cooked meats. Hands should not be used unless absolutely necessary, and then hand washing facilities must be available. Hands must be washed after handling raw meats.
• Keep cooked meat and salads separate from raw meat at all times to prevent contamination.
• Cover food to protect it from contamination. Use clean and dry utensils for serving the food - never place cooked meat back on the tray that held raw meat.
• Cook chicken, sausages and hamburgers until juices run clear- steaks can be cooked to preference.
• Throw leftover food away unless refrigeration equipment is available to rapidly cool the food.

Disposable Utensils

Wherever possible, single use (disposable) utensils such as knives, forks, plates and cups should be used and thrown away after use. These items should be kept covered until required and should be handled carefully to minimise any risk of contamination. Re-usable items such as mugs should not be used unless there are facilities available on-site to wash and sanitise them, or there are enough items for the duration of the event.

Water

If water is needed for hand washing or for washing up, a supply adequate to last the event must be provided. The water must be of drinkable quality. If using containers to transport water to the event, make sure that they are clean and have not been used to store chemicals.

Hand Washing Facilities

Unless a written exemption has been obtained from the NSW Food Authority, food handlers must wash their hands with warm water. In such circumstances the NSW Food Authority may permit the use or alternatives such as cleaning creams or gels, or sanitising wipes.

If you have access to water, you should set up a temporary hand washing facility that provides running water. You can do this by using a large container with a tap at its base.

Another container, such as a bucket, should collect the wastewater, to keep the site dry and clean.

A supply of soap and paper towels must be provided at the hand washing facility so that hand washing can be undertaken properly. Supply a bin for used towels. This helps to keep the site tidy and prevent contamination from used towels.

For further information on temporary events or mobile food vehicles, please refer to Council’s  Mobile Food Vending Vehicles & Temporary Food Stalls Policy.