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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

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

Importance of Managing Food Allergens

Importance of Managing Food Allergens in any food handling premises is significant. It is reported that approximately 3% of adults and 5% of children in Ireland have food allergies (IFAN, 2020).

Many people are allergic to certain foods. You must always be aware of all the ingredients contained in the food served by your kitchen. For example, many pre-prepared foodstuffs such as ice-cream contain eggs, and other foods contain traces of nuts. Be very careful when garnishing food, because even if a pre-prepared food type is allergen free, if it is garnished with chopped nuts it can become fatal to certain people.

 

How to Manage Food Allergens

All members of staff should be trained in allergen awareness and observe the house rules, and everyone should be able to recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Of course some restaurants serve shellfish and dishes containing nuts, and the key here is awareness: the staff must be aware of food ingredients and the customers likewise. It is very important that your supplier provides complete ingredient information and alerts you when any changes are made. It is also very important to listen carefully to your customers. If an allergy sufferer asks for information about the ingredients of a certain food it is essential that you understand them completely so that you can give an accurate response. Never guess!

eLearn Safety offers a fully online Management of Food Allergens course. The course is designed to introduce participants to understanding food allergens and management of associated risks. On completion of this food allergen training course, participants will be able to understand their requirements under Irish food safety legislation as well as following best work practices.

 

The 14 Allergens

The EU has a list of 14 food allergens that you must declare the presence of if they are used as ingredients in your food (FSAI, 2024).

  1. Cereals containing gluten – wheat (such as spelt and khorasan wheat), rye, barley, oats. Note: The cereal name, e.g., ‘wheat’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘gluten’.
  2. Crustaceans, e.g., crabs, prawns, lobsters.
  3. Eggs.
  4. Fish.
  5. Peanuts.
  6. Soybeans.
  7. Milk.
  8. Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia/Queensland nut). Note: The name of the nut, e.g., ‘almond’, must be declared and highlighted, not ‘nuts’.
  9. Celery.
  10. Mustard.
  11. Sesame seeds.
  12. Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at concentrations of more than 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/L in terms of total sulphur dioxide) – used as a preservative.
  13. Lupin.
  14. Molluscs, e.g., mussels, oysters, squid, snails.

 

Why is it Important to Manage Food Allergens

Allergies can cause an anaphylactic shock, which is life-threatening.

The symptoms include:

As noted earlier, if someone suffers these symptoms you must render immediate medical attention and call an ambulance.

 

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