Gastro-Intestinal Illness

There has been a continual rise in the notifications of Food Poisoning (FP).  The cost of FP can be high, both with regard to the personal misery it causes and the economic implications for individuals and industry.

The most common causes of FP are bacterial, particularly the Campylobacter and Salmonella groups, however new strains of micro-organisms are also being isolated and give cause for concern owing to the additional complications they may cause.

Food poisoning is a debilitating disease which may be mild or very severe.  For most healthy people, the infection is short lived and self limiting with victims recovering within 48 hours to 2 weeks.

Preventing Food Poisoning

a)    If present in food, certain types of bacteria may cause food poisoning.  Food needs to be kept as free as possible of these types, and their growth must be halted or slowed by cold or hot conditions.  For most bacteria:

-no growth occurs in the deep freezer at -18°C;

-only slow growth occurs in the refrigerator at 5°C;

-very rapid growth occurs at body temperature, 37°C;

-bacteria are killed at 70°C.

Foods which require to be chilled should be stored in a refrigerator which is cold, 2°C-5°C.  Frozen food should be stored in the deep freezer at -18°C.

Fresh fruit and vegetables should be stored in a cool dry position with plenty of air flow.

b)    Some bacteria may survive cooking and grow again when food is stored at the wrong temperature.

c)    If  foods are contaminated with bacteria after cooking, food poisoning again becomes a possibility.

For further information regarding Food Poisoning and Food Handling please view our Food Safety section, using the link to the right.