How to avoid food poisoning

Most people associate food poisoning with eating out, but most cases of food poisoning start at home.

Food poisoning is an illness which often starts suddenly, within 1 to 36 hours of eating food contaminated by germs - usually bacteria or viruses. Symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Many viruses and bacteria can cause food poisoning, but the ones you have probably heard mentioned the most are caused by the bacteria Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli 0157 and Campylobacter.

Where do germs come from?

Bacteria and viruses are everywhere, and as they are microscopically small, we aren't aware of them on or inside our bodies, nor on the food we eat. Our natural defence systems can usually overcome infecting bacteria, but if bacteria get into our bodies in huge numbers, we are unable to counteract them and then become ill.

Cooking food properly kills bacteria, and storing food at the right temperature in fridges and freezers stop them from multiplying.

Common sources of food poisoning:

• Uncooked meat and poultry - during the slaughter process, harmful bacteria from the animals' intestines can contaminate the meat, and so all raw meat should be considered as potentially contaminated.
• Shellfish - oysters and mussels which have grown near a discharge can carry a multitude of infecting germs.
• Humans - as we have large numbers of bacteria in our intestines, it is essential that we wash our hands after using the toilet, and especially before preparing food. Kitchen staff with colds, boils or skin infections shouldn't handle food.
• Domestic animals - pets can be a source of infecting bacteria, so do keep them off your food, table, plates and cutlery.
• Vegetables - will have been subject to bacteria in the soil, manure and even sewage sludge used as fertiliser!

How to prevent food poisoning

DO

• Wash and dry all uncooked meat. Keep it refrigerated and separate from cooked food
• Use fridge and freezer thermometers. Fridges should be below 5 deg C and freezer below 18 deg C
• Cook all meat thoroughly
• Use left overs quickly
• Wash all vegetables and salads (including pre-packed), and pat dry with kitchen roll or a clean cloth
• Keep all dairy produce in fridge
• Thaw all frozen food thoroughly
• Reheat 'TV dinners', 'cook chilled' meals and pre-cooked poultry until they are piping hot
• Wash 'chopping boards' after raw meat has been on them, before using them for other food
• Follow manufacturers instructions exactly when using a microwave to cook or reheat food

DON'T

• Use a knife that has just cut uncooked meat to cut cooked or salads
• Eat soft cheeses or pate if you are pregnant
• Store salads or dairy produce near uncooked meat or poultry
• Eat raw eggs - ideally eggs should be boiled for 6 minutes
• Eat foods that have passed their 'eat by' dates

Treatment

If you do get food poisoning, DO not eat solid food for 24 hours, but drink plenty of fluids.

You will stand a better chance of recovery by using fluid and electrolyte replacement powders, such as 'Dioralyte', 'Electrolade' or 'Rehidrat', which can be bought from your local pharmacist or obtained on NHS prescription. Full instructions are given on the packets.

Call your GP if vomiting and diarrhoea are severe or not responding to the above treatment. As children and babies can rapidly become dehydrated with diarrhoea and vomiting, you should contact your GP if there are no signs of improvement within 4 to 6 hours of starting the above treatment.

This article was published on Wed 2 December 2009