Are you planning a barbecue? Above all, do not leave the meat at room temperature before placing it on the grill. Above 30°C, bacteria develop very quickly and the health risk increases significantly. A real danger for your health.
We think we’re doing the right thing by taking the meat out of the refrigerator a moment before a barbecue. The idea is to obtain more successful cooking by avoiding grilling meat that is too cold. However, this gesture is far from safe. At room temperature, and even more during periods of high heatthe safety time (the amount of time a food can remain out of the refrigerator without danger) may drop up to about 30 minutes.
A false good idea that can harm your health
As soon as the meat remains at room temperature, it quickly enters into a risk area where bacteria start to grow at high speed. The more time passes, the more their multiplication acceleratesespecially when the ambient heat is high. Under these conditions, the food gradually becomes a real bacterial bomb.
In this context, meat quickly finds itself in the so-called danger zone, between 4°C and 60°C. It is precisely in this interval that bacteria grow most easilyespecially on products rich in protein like meat. The problem is that this contamination is totally invisible to the naked eye.
An invisible but very real danger
Contrary to certain received ideas, contaminated meat does not change smell or appearance immediately. She can appear perfectly healthy while still being already colonized by microorganisms.
Food safety recommendations from ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety) remind that certain bacteria can even survive cooking as spores and reactivate when conditions become favorable again. This is precisely what makes this error difficult to spot: the danger is invisible, mais bien réel.
Good reflexes to adopt so as not to spoil your barbecue
To avoid wasting a beautiful sunny day eating grilled meats in the garden, the safest method is to keep the meat in the refrigerator until the last moment. It should be taken out only to be prepared, then immediately placed on the barbecue.
This precaution thus limits the time spent in the danger zone and greatly reduces the risks for health. A little habit that allows de protéger sa santé et de enjoy your grill en toute sérénité.
Inès Aitlhaj
Cook in my spare time and very curious about the flavors of the world. I love getting involved as much as sharing my culinary discoveries. From Japanese sushi to Moroccan couscous, I draw on my origins and my desires for elsewhere to concoct recipes full of taste and history. Always on the lookout for tips from chefs or discoveries on the networks, I love testing, adapting, and above all passing on. An inveterate fan of Top Chef, I cook my articles like dishes: with a good dose of inspiration, a pinch of technique and a lot of pleasure in sharing them.
