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Food Safety Week

15 - 21 June 2009

Food Safety Week is an annual event promoting the importance of good food hygiene in the home.

 

This year the Food Standards Agency ( FSA ) is using the week to focus on Listeria and the over 60’s along with the importance of good general food hygiene using the principles of the 4Cs of Food Safety (Cleaning, Cooking, Chilling and Cross-contamination).

 

Ashford Borough Council is adding its weight to the campaign which builds on its on-going work to improve local food hygiene standards.

 

Listeria causes more deaths in the UK each year than Salmonella and E.coli combined. It can cause illness in vulnerable people, such as people over 60, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity including transplant and cancer patients. More than 95% of people who get food poisoning from listeria end up in hospital.

 

UK cases have more than doubled since 2000 with more older people affected by the potentially deadly food bug than ever before.

 

Eating food beyond its ‘use by’ date increases the risk of food poisoning from listeria and research published by the FSA shows less than half of over 60’s recognise ‘use by’ dates as an important indicator of whether food is safe or not, and so could be putting themselves at risk of serious illness.

 

Listeria can been found in a wide range of chilled ready-to-eat foods, including sandwiches, butter, cooked sliced meats, smoked salmon, certain soft cheeses and pâté. Vulnerable people should avoid eating soft cheeses (such as Camembert, Brie, or others that have a similar rind, and soft blue cheeses) and all types of pâtés (including vegetable).

It’s easy to reduce your risk of getting listeria if you follow this simple checklist:

• Don’t use food past its ‘use by’ date
• Make sure your fridge is between 0^C and 5^C (if in doubt buy a fridge thermometer)
• Follow the storage instructions on food labels

 

For more information and advice about listeria visit the FSA website.

The 4 Cs of Food Safety

Cases of food poisoning double during the summer months but it is very easy to avoid becoming one of those who fall ill by sticking to the 4 Cs of Food Safety.

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Cross contamination
• Chilling

The simple rules below can help you to stay safe from food-borne illnesses in the kitchen:

Cleaning      

• Clean kitchen surfaces after preparing foods
• Try to 'clean as you go'.
• After handling raw meat, poultry, fish and other raw foods always wash hands, utensils and surfaces thoroughly and before any contact with other food, especially cooked and ready-to-eat foods.
• Use the right materials for the job
• Detergents such as washing up liquids are designed to dissolve grease, oil and dirt.
•  Disinfectants, such as bleach, are designed to kill germs. These are powerful agents and should not be used   indiscriminately.
• Anti-bacterial cleaners are types of disinfectant and can kill germs - they often come in spray form
• Always follow the instructions.
• Use separate buckets and cloths for cleaning floors.
• Give your kitchen a thorough 'spring clean' periodically.
• Always clean surfaces first with detergent to remove any grease or dirt, then apply disinfectant to kill any remaining germs.
• Use separate cloths or sponges for separate tasks; where practicable use disposable cloths. If using them more than once, wash in hot water and soap then place in a suitable disinfectant, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Do not soak overnight as disinfectant solutions weaken and may allow bacteria to grow.

Cooking

• Follow recipes and label instructions on cooking times and temperatures. Remember to pre-heat the oven properly.
• Check food is piping hot before serving.
• Double check that sausages, burgers, pork and poultry are cooked right through; they should not be 'rare' or pink in the middle and when pierced with a knife any juices that run out of the meat should be clear, not bloody.
• Don't cook foods too far in advance. Once cooked, keep foods covered and piping hot (above 63°C) until it's time to eat them.
• When using the microwave stir foods and drinks and allow them to stand for a couple of minutes to avoid hot or cold spots.

Cross contamination

• Food poisoning is often caused when harmful bacteria on one food are spread via hands or kitchen utensils to cross-contaminate other foods. Good hygiene helps prevent this.
• Keep raw foods separate from cooked and ready-to-eat food at all times. In particular keep raw meat, fish, poultry and other raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods such as salads, bread and sandwiches.
• Never put cooked food on a plate which has previously held raw foods until it has been thoroughly washed.
• Ideally use separate chopping boards for raw and cooked foods.
• Wash hands after handling raw foods and before touching other foods and utensils.

Chilling

• Do not put hot food directly into the fridge or freezer, let it cool sufficiently first; but remember that cooling should be completed within one or two hours after cooking.
• To speed cooling divide foods into smaller portions, place in a wide dish and stand this in a shallow tray of cold water.

'Use by’ and ‘best before’ dates

• Don’t use food or drink after the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine. These foods can be kept longer if cooked or frozen before the end of the 'use by' date.
• Best before' dates are more about quality than safety, so when the date runs out it doesn't mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavour and texture. However, you shouldn't eat eggs after the 'best before' date.

 

For more information about food safety and hygiene visit the FSA website.

 

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