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Causes of Food Poisoning

Causes of Food Poisoning

Whilst Easter can be a truly enjoyable and joyous occasion, at the same time it can easily  turn sour due to various causes of food poisoning.

 

Bacterial Causes of Food Poisoning

While viruses cause some food poisoning cases, most result from bacterial contamination. Bacteria are tiny living structures that can only be seen with a microscope. Most bacteria are harmless but some can cause disease. If present in food, some of these disease-causing bacteria can cause food poisoning.

Where are these bacteria found and how do they get onto food? They are found everywhere; in soil and water as well as on people, animals and food.

Raw products, especially raw meats, poultry and fish, may contain dangerous bacteria. Bacteria on raw foods may then be transferred onto other food such as cooked or ready-to-eat foods during food preparation or storage. This is called cross-contamination.

People carry bacteria on and in their bodies, on their hands, face, nose and in their stomachs. Food handlers can transfer bacteria onto food if they don’t wash their hands after using the toilet or if they touch their faces or hair while preparing the food. Customers, like food handlers, can contaminate food by sneezing or touching food on display.

Pests such as insects, pets, birds and rodents can all carry bacteria and may contaminate any food they touch.

Dirty food premises harbour bacteria on dirt and food particles which can contaminate the food being prepared.

 

Cross-Contamination as a Cause of Food Poisoning

Cross-contamination – Food handlers who handle food incorrectly during preparation can spread bacteria and contaminate food directly by:

Food handlers may also spread bacteria and contaminate food indirectly by:

You can find further useful information on preventing food poisoning and other food safety relevant information on the FSAI and SafeFood websites.

 

Online Food Safety Training

Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs)

All food handling businesses must have in place Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs). PRPs are good hygiene practices that are the basic conditions and activities necessary to maintain a hygienic environment. In addition, any food handling business must also consider maintenance of the cold chain and allergen control when putting PRPs in place.

 

Complying with the HACCP Requirements

Depending on the complexity of a food business operation, PRPs may be all that is needed to comply with the HACCP requirement. Furthermore, it may be possible to control hazards with PRPs alone. For example, if a food business carries out low-risk activities, all the hazards may be controlled by the Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs). In this case, there is no need for the application of a full food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP.

For more complex food businesses that involve the preparation, manufacturing or processing of food, PRPs are the basis of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS). The Food Safety Management System has to be based on the seven principles of HACCP. A PRPs can be implemented by:

  1. following a recognised guide to good practice appropriate to a food business, or
  2. developing procedures based on the principles of HACCP if required.

 

Hazards Controlled by Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs)

The majority of hazards can be controlled by PRPs. These can be the foundation for the HACCP based procedures to implement. Once PRPs are in place, your HACCP based procedures will focus on controlling the steps in a business. These are critical to ensure the preparation of safe food.

For more information on the various options for complying with the HACCP requirement see Guidance Note No. 11 Assessment of HACCP Compliance (Revision 2).

 

Prerequisites Include Where Appropriate

Prerequisite Programmes (PRPs) include the following:

 

Online Food Safety Training

Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

Importance of Food Safety Training

Importance of food safety training in any food handling business is significant. Both consumers and those working in the hospitality and retail sectors are becoming more aware of the importance of food safety and implementation of HACCP based procedures. Part of the reason for this is when there is an incident of food poisoning, a large number of people may be affected resulting in serious legal issues, negative publicity and loss of livelihood. Owing to this, some businesses might be forced to close down.

 

Why is it Important to Train People in Safe Food Handling

It is the legal responsibility of everyone involved in the food sector to carry out their food-related activities in a hygienic manner. This applies to all food handling areas. In summary, these include food service, food wholesaling, food retailing and food processing. Each year there are 4000 – 5000 reported cases of food poisoning in the island of Ireland. However, the actual figure may be considerably higher than this. This is owing to many people with mild symptoms do not report these symptoms. To illustrate, the FSAI report from 2022 states that there were 4,058 complaints from consumers in 2022. About 1,200 were relating to unfit food and more than 1,100 each due to poor hygiene standards and suspected food poisoning. In other words, food poisoning concerns almost doubled from the 622 received in 2021.

Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is illness caused by eating contaminated food. Infectious organisms, including bacteria, viruses and parasites, or their toxins are the most common causes of food poisoning. Infectious organisms or their toxins can contaminate food at any point of processing or production.

To learn more about food poisoning and how to prevent it, the eLearn Safety has developed fully online food safety courses. These courses are designed to introduce participants to food safety and hygiene issues. All courses are based on the training criteria set down by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s Guide to Food Safety Training at appropriate level.

On completion of this food safety training course, participants will be able to understand their requirements under Irish food safety legislation as well as following best work practices.

 

Consequences of Poor Food Handling Practices

Food poisoning symptoms, which can start within hours of eating contaminated food, often include nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Most often, food poisoning is mild and resolves without treatment. However, some people need to go to the hospital. In addition, food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life-threatening for young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

In any case, to prevent food poisoning, these essential principles should be adhered to:

Remember, it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

 

Online Food Safety Training

Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

 

Selling or Advertising Food Online

Selling or advertising food online has become a norm nowadays. However, before anyone decides to sell or advertise food online they have to make sure to research any relevant food safety laws.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has developed a Selling or Advertising Food Online leaflet with essential information for all those who are selling or advertising food online (including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages). Although published in 2017, this is a relevant guide that lists the mandatory information you must provide to the consumer when selling food online.

 

Selling or Advertising Food Online Guide

The guide makes it clear that if a food business sells or advertises food online, they are responsible for the food information provided to their customer and must comply with relevant food law. The guide goes on to highlight key areas which food businesses selling or advertising online should address, including:

Although this leaflet focuses on the rules for selling food online, the rules also apply to food sold or advertised by any other means of distance communication.

 

Meeting the Requirements

Any food supplied through distance selling must meet the same information requirements as food sold in a physical premise e.g. a shop. The Regulation defines “means of distance communication” as “any means which, without the simultaneous physical presence of the supplier and the consumer, may be used for the conclusion of a contract between those parties”.

Common methods of selling food by means of distance communication include:

 

If you sell food online, you must comply with the relevant food law. The main purpose of food law is to ensure that food available for consumers to buy is safe. It also requires food businesses to provide consumers with the necessary information about food, so that they can make an informed choice at the time of purchase. Food law prohibits the use of misleading information.

To find about requirements for selling or advertising food online please refer to this Selling or Advertising Food Online leaflet published by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

 

Online Food Safety Training

Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!

Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.

To find out more, please check our Courses page.

Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training