Food poisoning

Last year there were around 15,000 cases of food poisoning in children. With a steep rise in the number of incidences in the latter part of May and throughout the summer, it is especially important to remember those food hygiene rules.

Summer is a peak time for food poisoning. Possible reasons for this higher level are that some organisms involved thrive in warmer weather, more families are on holiday and try different foods and summer is a time when we eat out more having picnics and barbecues and our food hygiene regime can slip.

The usual symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting; there may be abdominal and fever in some cases. The likely culprits are raw meat and poultry. Raw meat can contain food poisoning bugs so if it touches food that has already been cooked or is ready to eat (such as salad or burger buns) the bugs can spread on to that food. You can also get food poisoning from milk and dairy products, usually unpasteurised. Salads and fruit can also become contaminated when washed with water which isn't of drinking quality. Be careful when reheating food. Reheated cooked rice can be a problem if it is not reheated throroughly.

The four key messages for prevention are:
- washing hands
- cooking food properly
- cooling food properly
- avoiding cross contamination.
Food should be cooled at room temperature and put into the refrigerator within an hour. Handwashing is important to avoid cross-contamination, as is keeping a separate chopping board just for raw meat. Raw neat should also be kept in a covered container at the bottom of the fridge. Handwashing is especially important with children as they are more likely than adults to have been playing about on the ground where animals may have been.

The simple treatment for food poisoning is plenty of fluid, together with oral rehydration sachets if symptoms are bad. If the symptoms last for more than 24 hours ring your doctor or NHS Direct for further advice. If there is blood in the stool seek immediate advice as this is a possible sign of E coli. If a child has a fever and is slightly confused you should also seek help.

Barbecue Safety
- Warm weather is perfect for bugs to grow so try and keep food out of the fridge for the shortest possible time.
- Make sure frozen food is properly thawed before you cook it.
- Stop far meat from touching or dripping onto other food and use separate utensils for raw and cooked meats
- Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
- Wait until the charcoals are glowing red with a powdery grey surface, before you start to cook
- Turn the food regularly, and move it around the barbecue, to cook evenly
- Check the food is piping hot all the way through
- Ensure there isn't any pink meat left in poultry, pork burgers, sausages and kebabs, and that any juices run clear
- Don't put cooked food on a plate or surface that has been used for raw meat (unless it has been washed thoroughly).
- Don't put raw meat products next to cooked or partially cooked meat on the barbecue