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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

 

Online Health and Safety Training and its Benefits

Online Health and Safety training offers a strong return on investment for employers and a quick way to get employees up to date with workplace safety. Online courses are also tailored to specific areas of workplace safety. They can ensure employees are getting the exact information they need to do their job safely. In this article, we take a closer look at the benefits of online training for workplace safety.

 

The Importance of Online Training for Workplace Safety

Studies show online education is growing by 5-10% each year as more and more employers move their training methods online. According to the Irish Central Statistics Office (CSO) there was a sharp increase in the use of education portals/websites during COVID-19 with over one fifth (21%) Communicating with instructors or students using educational websites/portals, an increase of seven percentage points in 2019. These numbers remain high even after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rise of digital technology in all areas of our lives this trend is far from declining.

Online Health and Safety training is a convenient way for staff to learn about their safety in the workplace. It removes many constraints which often hinder classroom training. This type of training is also very specific. It usually focuses on the precise lessons needed to stay safe in the workplace. From food handling and fire safety to workplace stress and working at heights, such online courses are always relevant to the workplace and ensure employers are abiding by certain laws and regulations.

Let’s take a look at some of the main benefits of online training.

 

7 Key Benefits of Online Training for Workplace Safety

1. Online Training Draws from High Quality Resources

Online training usually draws inspiration from the best interactive experiences online and incorporate these learnings into an online course. As a result, online training can sometimes include video conferencing or webinars and other opportunities which enable staff to engage remotely. Simply put, this consistent high quality and extent of resources is rarely guaranteed in the classroom.

2. Learning Practical Skills for Real World Experience

Employees develop soft skills through online training and practical lessons which they can put into practice at work. These lessons often come from real experience which can feel more relevant than the theory which you might hear about in a classroom. Online courses also use simulations, scenarios and multiple choice questions to ensure these lessons are always relevant to real world scenarios. This also highlights the objective of online training – to give employee the exact education they need to know to do their job safely.

3. Employees Often Retain More through Online Training

Research shows how many employees are likely to forget what they learn in the classroom. It makes sense when you think back to school days and just how little algebra or poetry you might remember! Memory retention is boosted by relevant experiences which can be applied straight away. With this in mind, online training is often split into areas of knowledge and structured to increase relevancy. This increased relevancy means employees will more likely learn and recall the contents of an online course than they might in a classroom.

4. Online Courses Can Be Scheduled for Any Time/Place

Standard classroom training is always set at a specific time but co-ordinating this time is near impossible in such a fast-moving world. There is also a time loss for going to and from a classroom. Many employees are likely to feel restricted in a classroom environment. Online training can take place at any time and enables employees to undergo the training at their own pace. It’s a win-win situation for both employers and employees. In addition, it also removes the requirement for having a classroom to facilitate the training.

5. Immediate Access to Support and Resources

Online training provides immediate access to a large number of resources which allows them to find answers at the time of learning. Classroom training takes place in a specific location where employees are most often unable to access training resources in real time. This means employees don’t need to wait until the next class to ask questions and can address any immediate challenges or concerns before moving on with the training. Online training can use forums or social media groups to provide extra support and provide employees with a place whether they can share tips or ask questions.

6. Online Training is Designed for Different Learning Preferences

Every audience consists of different people with varying abilities and backgrounds. However, more recent generations have become accustomed to smart technology and the online world. These employees are also likely to have acquired skills through Google, YouTube and apps in the past and appreciate this method of learning. This is why the rate of attention and engagement with online training is often said to be higher than a classroom. Online training is designed to cater to all learning preferences.

7. High Levels of Engagement and Responsibility

Some online training courses are gamified which means they feature levels, rewards and certain mechanics which encourage progress. These courses seek to encourage the learner to progress and keep going until they complete each lesson. They can also monitor performance along the way and feel more invested or responsible for participating in the course. It is this high engagement which should be attractive to employers and the fact they can outsource this time consuming process to a trusted online training platform.

 

Working with a training company

Working with an online training platform can help employers lighten the load and allow the experts to take care of the training. However, it’s important to choose a platform which abides by laws and regulations and incorporates these requirements into the online training. For instance, MyElearnSafety offer courses online health and safety training for Food Safety which adhere to the principles of the internationally recognised Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). It also offers Fire Safety AwarenessManual Handling AwarenessPaediatric First Aid just to name a few.

Check out MyElearnSafety today and we can get everyone up to speed on their workplace safety!

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training

eLearn Online Health and Safety Training