National Food Safety Week 2009

This years National Food Safety Week runs from 15-21 June 2009. The focus for this years UK wide campaign will be the over 60's with advice being given on the need for proper storage and handling of food in the home. 

The reason for this years focus is the recent rise in cases of Listeria particularly within this age group. Cases of Listeria have doubled since 2001 with 70 per cent of cases being over 60 years of age and it causes the same number of deaths per year as Salmonella and E coli O157 combined.

These germs are all around in the environment and may contaminate ready to eat foods such as pre-packed sandwiches, cooked sliced meats, soft cheeses and pates, when they are being processed in the factory.

While healthy people are not normally at any risk from Listeria, it can cause a severe or even life-threatening illness in certain vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, unborn and newborn babies and people with reduced immunity, particularly those over 60.

People at risk are advised to steer clear of eating foods such as soft cheeses and pate.

Our Environmental Health Team will be supporting National Food Safety Week to make people more aware of food safety. They will be offering advice to the over 60's through a number of day care centres, drop in centres and other venues across Brent.

Top tips

1. Follow the storage instructions on the food label

If the label says 'keep refrigerated' then make sure you keep the food in the fridge. This slows down the growth of bacteria.

2. Keep high risk foods out of the fridge for the shortest time possible

Food that contains a small number of bacteria can become seriously contaminated if left at room temperature for a few hours. Also food poisoning bacteria do not make the food smell or taste any different.

3. Keep your fridge at the correct temperature

Ideally the temperature of food in a fridge should be 5C or below and should always be no warmer than 8C. At temperatures above 8C germs will begin to grow more quickly.

4. Use food by its use by date

A use by date is put on the label of foods that 'go-off' quickly. After this date the food may not be safe to eat even if it looks and smells fine. For the use by date to be valid you must follow any storage instructions such as 'keep refrigerated'.

Once food with a use by date has been opened you must follow any other instructions such as 'eat within three days of opening'. However, if the use by date is tomorrow then you must use it by tomorrow even if you only opened it today.

5. A best before date is different to a use by date

Best before dates appear on lower risk foods such as dried, tinned and frozen foods and are more about quality than safety. In other words after this date the food may begin to lose its flavour or texture rather than be harmful.

6. Wash salads, fruit and vegetables before eating