2017 theme - Safe Summer Eating
We all love it when the weather gets warmer. But did you know
that you might need to think harder about food safety in the summer
months?
New research indicates that people in South West England could
be putting themselves and their families at risk of food poisoning
through lack of knowledge of the 4Cs of food hygiene: Chilling,
Cooking, Cleaning and avoiding Cross-contamination.
The Food Standards Agency's Food and You Survey, which collects
information on food safety through 3,118 interviews across England,
Wales and Northern Ireland, found that in South West England:
- 46% of respondents said they did not know what the fridge
temperature should be, suggesting that many people's fridges may
not be between the recommended 0 and 5°C.
- 49% thought the correct method for defrosting meat or fish was
leaving it at room temperature, putting themselves at higher risk
of food poisoning as germs multiply more quickly at room
temperature.
- A fifth (22%) said that they don't use different chopping
boards for different foods, which increases the risk of
cross-contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
- The South West was the region where people were least likely to
wash raw chicken (61% never do this). Washing chicken risks
spreading bacteria and should be avoided.
- 66% of respondents were more likely than those in other regions
to eat red meat with pink or red juices
Councillor Val Keitch, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Health
at South Somerset District Council said, "These figures show that
there's more that people in South West England could do to keep
themselves and their loved ones safe this summer. That's why South
Somerset District Council is working with the Food Standards Agency
promoting good hygiene practices during Food Safety Week (19 - 25
June). This year the week aims to encourage better hygiene
practices for summer, when the risk of getting food poisoning goes
up"
For tips on how to stay safe this summer visit: https://www.food.gov.uk/safe-summer-food.
2016 theme - Food Waste Reduction
In the UK we throw away 7 million tonnes of food and drink from
our homes every year, the majority of which could have been
eaten. Wasting this food costs the average household £470 a year.
If we all stopped wasting food the benefit to the planet would be
the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.
There are two main reasons why we throw away good food: we buy
or make too much or we don't use it in time.
Research tells us that people can be confused about the
difference between 'Use By' and Best Before' dates, that they don't
always know what can be safely cooked or frozen, and that some
people are taking risks with their health and that of their loved
ones to make food go further.
So this year Food Safety Week (Monday 4 to Sunday 10 July) will
focus on ways in which we can all waste less food - safely.
Visit the Food Standards Agency website use by to be part
of the Eat it, Cook it, Freeze it!
campaign
2015 theme - 'The Chicken Challenge'
Visit the Food Standards Agency website Chicken
Challenge to be part of the 'Chicken Challenge'
2014 theme - 'Don't Wash Raw Chicken'
The key messages for Food Safety Week 2014 are:
Don't Wash Raw Chicken
Washing raw chicken can spread campylobacter.
Splashing can spread campylobacter on to other surfaces,
other food, your skin, your clothing and equipment which can lead
to serious illness. Thorough cooking kills
campylobacter.
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food
poisoning in the UK
What is campylobacter? Campylobacter is the most common cause of
food poisoning in the UK.
Campylobacter poisoning usually develops a few days after
consuming contaminated food and leads to symptoms that include
abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea and, sometimes, vomiting.
Campylobacter infections can last up to 10 days, although the
typical symptoms last between 2 and 5 days. Campylobacter infection
can be particularly severe in small children and adults over
60.
Supporting messages based on the 4Cs
Our supporting messages for consumers to help keep themselves
and their family safe from food poisoning are:
Chilling
Make sure the fridge temperature is running below
50C.
Don't overfill your fridge. This allows air to circulate and
maintains the set temperature.
Store raw poultry at the bottom of the fridge and properly wrap
or cover it to avoid raw juices contaminating other foods.
Avoiding Cross Contamination
Cross contamination occurs when harmful germs such as
campylobacter are spread between food, surfaces and
equipment.
Help to prevent this by removing
clutter that you don't need and washing worktops before and after
food preparation.
Cleaning
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before
preparing and after handling raw food such as chicken.
Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and
surfaces used to prepare raw chicken.
Always use a chopping board. Wash the board and other utensils
in hot, soapy water when you've finished using them and in between
preparing raw foods such as chicken and ready-to-eat food. Consider
using separate chopping boards for raw and ready-to-eat food.
Wash or change dish cloths, tea towels and sponges regularly and
let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths are the
perfect place for bacteria to breed.
Cooking chicken thoroughly
Cook chicken thoroughly until it is steaming hot in the
middle. This will kill any harmful bacteria that may be
present.
Useful leaflets:
For further information please contact the Food Safety Team