Health chiefs have issued a food safety warning after recording “a higher than usual number” of cases of a potentially deadly strain of E. coli.

A statement from the health board said: “NHS Tayside has been notified of a higher than usual number of people who have become ill recently with E.coli O157 infection. Although the total number of cases remains small, we are investigating this in line with normal procedures, as we would for all cases of E.coli O157. …

“Always ensure that meat is cooked throughout, none of the meat is pink and the juices run clear. … If you’re barbecuing for lots of people, you could cook meat indoors and finish it off on the barbecue to add that summer barbecue flavour. When you reheat food on the barbecue, make sure it’s piping hot all the way through before serving.”

Color is a lousy indicator. These science-based publicly-funded organizations need to get the science right.