Food Safety Web - DidyouKnow

Did you know?

that Campylobacter remains the single biggest identified cause of food borne disease in the UK.

that if you are suffering from food poisoning it is particularly important to observe the strictest personal hygiene, not only to prevent the spread of infection to other persons, but also to avoid re-infection of yourself. In particular, please remember the following rules:

If you have more than one WC, use a separate WC to those who are not affected.
Wash your hands immediately and thoroughly with soap (preferably bactericidal soap from your chemist) and hot water, after using the toilet. A separate hand towel should be used by affected persons. Where the patient is a young child, then it may be necessary for a parent to supervise or assist in the proper washing of hands.
At regular intervals, wipe the WC seat, flush handle, taps and door knobs with disinfectant.
If you are able to make alternative arrangements, do not prepare food for other people. If you cannot do this, wash your hands thoroughly before preparing or cooking any food or before touching any kitchen utensils and equipment. This is especially important where the affected person is normally responsible for the preparation of meals for others.
Young children tend to be less strict in their personal hygiene and may therefore pass on this type of infection more readily. Babies and toddlers in nappies therefore need special attention. If possible you should use disposable nappies which, after use, should be disposed of by double bagging. (i.e. sealed in one bag and then placed in a second bag). If towelling nappies are used they should be rinsed in the normal way and should be washed using a "boil wash". Rubber gloves (separate from those used from washing up) should be used to handle soiled nappies/bed linen, etc. As an added precaution you should, if possible, set aside a separate area just for nappy changing and this should not be an area where food is prepared. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after changing the baby.

that ultra-violet tubes in insect killers should be replaced annually to ensure their effective operation.
that food probe thermometers should be regularly calibrated to check their accuracy. This can be carried out by probing melting ice and boiling water to verify temperatures of 0^oC and 100^oC respectively.
that a reliable and quick way for checking the temperature of a refrigerator is to use a food probe to probe a pack of margarine or jelly specifically labelled and used only for this purpose.