Food can become contaminated at any stage during its production, processing or cooking.
Harmful bugs can be:
* Carried on the bodies of people handling food.
* Frequently present in the throat, nose, skin, hair and faeces.
* Transferred to food after touching the nose, mouth or hair or smoking without washing hands before handling food. Sneezing or coughing around or near food can also lead to contamination.
Food poisoning can be caused by:
* Not cooking food thoroughly.
* Eating food after a ‘use-by’ date.
* Not Storing food that needs to be chilled below 5°C
* Someone who is ill or has poor hand hygiene handling the food.
* Cross contamination, where bacteria is spread between food, surfaces, utensils and equipment.
Higher risk foods include:
* Seafood.
* Prepared fruit salads.
* Unpasteurised dairy products.
* Smallgoods such as salami and hams.
* Cooked rice not kept at correct temperatures.
* Cooked pasta not kept at correct temperatures.
* Raw or undercooked poultry such as chicken, duck and turkey.
* Prepared salads such as coleslaw, pasta salads and rice salads.
* Meat, especially undercooked mince and rolled, formed or tenderised meats.
* Raw or lightly cooked eggs including foods made from raw egg such as unpasteurised mayonnaise.
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