BBQ Grill-Cleaning Brushes Posing Food Safety Hazard
July Fourth has come and gone and you likely ate your fair share of barbecue.
While there may be nothing quite like outdoor barbecue on a hot summer day, you may have also heard of some of the food dangers associated with eating barbecue.
Several years ago, scientists raised the alarm that eating burned and charred food may lead to increased cancer risk. Additionally, eating a lot of burgers and other red meat just isn’t good for you. Well if these barbecue dangers haven’t dissuaded you, this newest danger may.
Wire bristles from grill cleaning brushes are now finding their way into the food we eat, reports Food Safety News. This past year, six people were hospitalized after experiencing pain in their necks and stomachs. After taking a look, doctors discovered that each of the victims had wire grill cleaning bristles lodged in their throats or intestines. And the one common denominator in each case — all six had just eaten barbecue.
So should this newest barbecue danger keep you from eating the foods you love? Well, no. But you should be careful when gnawing on your meats and barbecued vegetables and keep an eye (or taste bud) out for foreign substances.
As for the particularly litigious grillers, unfortunately there is so far no data on a particular brand of grill brush that sheds wire bristles more easily than others. However, that should not stop you from contacting a product liability attorney if you believe that you have been injured by a product or particular barbecue danger.
Related Resources:
- Guard Your Grill: Patients Accidentally Swallow Wire Brush Bristles, Hospital Reports (ABC)
- Boston Grill Law Puts Heat On Tenants and Building Owners (FindLaw's Boston Real Estate Law News)
- What to Do After Food Poisoning (FindLaw's Injured)