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Food Poisoning and How To Prevent It: Don't Let Your Food Turn Nasty!

This document discusses food safety and preventing food poisoning. It notes that food poisoning is caused by bacteria growing in food under the right conditions of warmth, moisture and time. It emphasizes proper hygiene during food preparation and storage to prevent cross-contamination, as well as avoiding leaving food in the temperature danger zone between 5-60°C for more than 4 hours. High-risk foods like meat, seafood and dairy are more likely to cause food poisoning if contaminated, so must be handled and cooked carefully. Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea and diarrhea.

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54 views3 pages

Food Poisoning and How To Prevent It: Don't Let Your Food Turn Nasty!

This document discusses food safety and preventing food poisoning. It notes that food poisoning is caused by bacteria growing in food under the right conditions of warmth, moisture and time. It emphasizes proper hygiene during food preparation and storage to prevent cross-contamination, as well as avoiding leaving food in the temperature danger zone between 5-60°C for more than 4 hours. High-risk foods like meat, seafood and dairy are more likely to cause food poisoning if contaminated, so must be handled and cooked carefully. Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea and diarrhea.

Uploaded by

ckalugalage1726
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Food poisoning and how to

prevent it
Food safety at home and in the community

Dont let your food turn nasty!


Food poisoning is a serious health problem. It
can cause severe illness and even death.
Food poisoning is frequently caused by bacteria
from food that has been poorly handled, stored or
cooked.

During food preparation


Hands and equipment (such as knives and cutting
boards) can be contaminated with bacteria from
raw food. It is important to wash hands and tools
properly to reduce the likelihood of food becoming
contaminated with bacteria.
During storage

Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea,


stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever, and headaches.
Symptoms can occur within 30 minutes of eating, or
a number of hours or days later. They can be mild
or severe.

Bacteria from raw food can contaminate ready-toeat or cooked foods if they are stored in such a way
that they come into contact with each other. This
includes contact between raw food juices and
cooked or ready to eat foods.

Some bacteria can also cause other symptoms.


Listeria bacteria may cause miscarriage or other
serious illness in susceptible people.

The food poisoning chain

Certain people are more at risk from food


poisoning. This includes young children, pregnant
women, the elderly, and people with other
illnesses.

there must be bacteria on the food

the bacteria must have the right conditions to


grow - that is warmth (between 5C and 60C),
moisture and food

the bacteria must have time to grow and


multiply.

There must be a chain of events for food


poisoning to occur:

Getting help for food poisoning


If you, your family, or friends suffer illness after
consuming food or drink, and you think the illness is
related to food that has been purchased or eaten:

see a doctor

By preventing each of these, the food poisoning


chain will be broken and food poisoning prevented.

report the illness to your local council health unit,


so that the cause can be investigated.

High-risk food

Bacteria in food
Food poisoning bacteria are often naturally present
in food and can multiply quickly under the right
conditions. It is very important not to give bacteria
the conditions under which they multiply rapidly.

Bacteria grow and multiply on some types of food


more easily than on others. The types of foods
which bacteria prefer include:

Bacteria are everywhere in the soil, on animals,


on people and on the things people touch and use
but they are mostly harmless.

However, some bacteria cause food borne illness,


and it is possible for foods, such as meat or
vegetables, to contain food poisoning bacteria from
the start, or to be contaminated at a later stage.

meat
poultry
dairy products
eggs
smallgoods
seafood
cooked rice
cooked pasta
prepared salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads
prepared fruit salads.

Department of Health

Temperature
Bacteria grow quickly in high-risk foods when kept
at temperatures between 5C and 60C. This is
called the Temperature Danger Zone.
If high-risk food is contaminated with food poisoning
bacteria and then left in the Temperature Danger
Zone for more than 4 hours, it may cause food
poisoning. It is very important not to keep high-risk
food in the Temperature Danger Zone any longer
than is absolutely necessary.
Cooking food to over 75C kills most of the
bacteria. Make sure food is thoroughly cooked, and
that the centre of the cooked food has reached
75C.

Water
Bacteria need moisture to grow. If there is no
moisture present, the growth of bacteria may slow
down or stop. That is why drying is an effective way
to preserve food. However, as soon as moisture is
added to dried foods, the risk of bacterial growth in
the foods increases.

Some common food poisoning bacteria


Bacteria type
Salmonella

Foods that present


the highest risk

Food poisoning
symptoms

Symptoms occur

Under-cooked meat,
poultry, eggs and
egg products

Nausea, stomach
cramps, diarrhoea,
fever and headache

Six hours to 3 days


after eating
contaminated food

Special problems

Symptoms can last


35 days
Staphylococcus
aureus

Campylobacter

Under-cooked meat
and poultry dishes,
egg products,
mayonnaise-based
salads, cream or
custard-filled
desserts

Acute vomiting,
nausea;
occasionally
diarrhoea and
cramps

One to 8 hours after


eating the
contaminated food

These bacteria
produce toxins in
food

Symptoms may last


about 24 hours

The toxin is not


destroyed during
cooking, so correct
storage of food
before and after
cooking is essential

Raw meat, raw


poultry, raw/unpasteurised milk

Diarrhoea,
abdominal pain,
nausea, headache
and/or vomiting

Usually 25 days
after eating
contaminated food

The bacteria are


killed when food is
fully cooked and
handled correctly by
food handlers

Household pets and


flies may be carriers
of the bacteria

Page 2

Symptoms may last


710 days.
25% of cases may
experience a
relapse

Department of Health

Some ways of preventing food poisoning

Training

; Good personal hygiene, such as thoroughly

Everyone handling food at home or working in a


food premises is encouraged to be trained in safe
food handling. Dofoodsafely, a free online learning
program, is a good place to start go to
http://dofoodsafely.health.vic.gov.au.

washing and drying hands when handling food.

; Avoid cross-contamination, such as keeping


raw foods and ready-to-eat foods separate, and
using separate, clean utensils, containers and
equipment.

; Cook foods thoroughly; make sure foods such


as meats and poultry are cooked until their core
temperature reaches 75C.

; Avoid the Temperature Danger Zone; keep


chilled foods cold at 5C or colder, and hot food
hot at 60C or hotter.

; Avoid spoiled foods, foods past their use-by


dates, or food in damaged containers or
packaging.

; When in doubt, throw it out.

More information
A range of resources on safe food handling is
available on the Department of Health Food Safety
website. Go to www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety
or phone 1300 364 352.
Local councils can also provide advice about safe
food handling.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has a
range of resources on food handling standards on
its website at www.foodstandards.gov.au

If you are selling food


If you are working in a food business, or with a
community group raising funds through food
events, the national Food Standards Code applies.
You must also follow the requirements that apply to
certain classes of food premises, that is:
Class 1 and 2

Follow the business food safety program

Follow the advice given by the food safety


supervisor, unless your premises is exempt.

Class 3

Complete the required basic records about your


food handling practices and keep them onsite.

Your council will advise you about the class of your


food premises.

Page 3

To receive this publication in an accessible format


phone 1300 364 352.
Authorised by the Victorian Government,
Melbourne.
December 2010

Department of Health

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