Food Poisoning
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is the illness caused by eating food contaminated with harmful bacteria. There are many types of food poisoning bacteria that cause a variety of symptoms and which last for different periods of time.
The commonest symptoms of food poisoning are:
- diarrhoea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
Food poisoning is an infectious disease which can easily be passed to other people by poor hygiene, it is confirmed through the laboratory analysis of a stool sample.
Environmental Health Investigation
We are notified by local GPs of patients suffering from food poisoning and investigate the possible causes of food poisoning quickly, in case the patient works with food or vulnerable people.
Affected patients are asked:
- what was eaten at least three days prior to becoming ill
- what the symptoms were and how long they lasted
- if there was any contact with other ill people or pets
- what the patient's occupation is
- if the patient has travelled outside of the UK.
The information helps us find a possible cause of the illness and helps us to provide advice and guidance on how to prevent illness in the future and what precautions to take whilst ill.
What to do if you think you are suffering from food poisoning?
- report it to your doctor and provide a stool sample
- report it to the |Environmental Health & Licensing Division so that we can begin our investigation immediately
- report the incident to your employer if you work with food or vulnerable people
How does food poisoning occur?
Food poisoning bacteria are living organisms that can only be seen through a microscope. Bacteria are everywhere - in the soil, water and dust, in the air and they can also live in human and animal intestines. Given the right conditions bacteria multiply very rapidly.
These conditions include:
- Time - in ideal conditions one bacterium can multiply to over two million within seven hours.
- Warmth - food poisoning bacteria grow best in a temperature of 5ºC to 63ºC (the danger zone).
- Food - The types of food bacteria prefer include dairy and egg products, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish. In these high-risk foods bacteria multiply rapidly.
- Water - Bacteria require moisture to grow so drying is a good form of food preservation.
How can food become contaminated?
Food can be contaminated by unhygienic food handling and storage.
Food poisoning bacteria are everywhere. So raw meat and vegetables will probably already contain these bacteria.
Precautions:
- Separate raw foods from those which are ready to eat, to prevent bacteria passing from raw to the other foods.
- Wash thoroughly any utensils, equipment and your hands after handling raw foods, to prevent bacteria passing onto ready to eat foods.
- The people who prepare and serve food can pass on food poisoning bacteria by poor personal hygiene, so hand washing with hot water and soap and thorough hand drying is very important.
How can food poisoning be prevented?
- stopping food from becoming contaminated
- stopping the bacteria in food from growing and multiplying
- killing bacteria found in raw food by thorough cooking
Food poisoning is the result of a chain of events:
- bacteria on the food
- warmth, moisture and food to grow
- time to grow and multiply
To break the chain of events and prevent food poisoning:
- Do wash and dry hands thoroughly before touching food (raw or cooked), after going to the toilet, smoking or touching pets.
- Do wash thoroughly all equipment used for preparing foods (particularly raw food).
- Do store perishable food below 5ºC - always keep food at a temperature outside the danger zone (body heat temperature).
- Do make sure food is cooked until it is piping hot (75ºC).
- Do make sure food is served as soon as possible after preparation.
- Do not handle food if you are suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting.
- Do not store cooked foods below raw foods in the refrigerator.
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