Food poisoning - prevention

Food poisoning is caused by eating contaminated food. Food poisoning affects more than five million Australians every year. Food can be contaminated when it is handled, stored or prepared incorrectly. Some foods carry a higher risk of causing food poisoning and some people are more at risk of getting food poisoning than others.

Food poisoning is frequently caused by bacteria
Food poisoning occurs when sufficient numbers of particular types of bacteria, or their toxins, are present in the food you eat. These bacteria are called pathogens.

High risk foods and vulnerable groups
Food contamination is not just limited to foods you may consider risky, such as chicken or fish. Prepared fruits, vegetables and salads can also be potentially dangerous. Contaminated food may look, smell and taste normal. Food poisoning bacteria can grow and multiply on some types of food more easily than others. High risk foods include:

• Meat
• Poultry such as chicken and turkey
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Smallgoods such as salami and hams
• Seafood
• Cooked rice
• Cooked pasta
• Prepared salads such as coleslaw, pasta salads and rice salads
• Prepared fruit salads.

• Time - in ideal conditions, one bacterium can multiply to more than two million in seven hours.
• Temperature - food poisoning bacteria grow best in the temperature range between 5°C and 60°C. This is referred to as the ‘temperature danger zone’. This means that we need to keep perishable food either very cold or very hot, in order to avoid food poisoning.
• Nutrients - most foods contain enough nutrients for bacteria to grow. This is especially the case with high risk foods such as dairy and egg products, meat and poultry and seafood.
• Water - bacteria need water for their growth. Without water, growth may slow down or stop. That is why dried foods do not spoil.
• PH - is the measure of acidity or alkalinity and it is also important for bacteria growth. At certain pH values, bacteria may stop growing. This is the case with highly acidic foods, which have low pH.

• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhoea
• Fever
• Headaches.

• Prevent food from being contaminated
• Prevent the bacteria in the food from growing and multiplying.

• Try to keep high risk foods outside the ‘temperature danger zone’ and buy hot and cold foods at the end of your shopping trip.
• Keep hot foods and cold foods separate.
• Avoid food past its use-by date and always check labels.
• Avoid food in swollen, dented, leaking or damaged cans, containers or other packaging.
• Don’t buy frozen or chilled foods that have been left out of the freezer and only buy hot foods that are steaming hot.
• Check that serving staff use separate tongs when handling separate food types, such as meats and vegetables.
• Only buy eggs in cartons that identify the supplier and avoid cracked and soiled eggs.
• Take your shopping home quickly and store it immediately.

• Wash your hands in warm, soapy water for at least 30 seconds before preparing food.
• Most food should be cooked to a temperature of at least 75°C.
• Cook poultry until the meat is white. Cook hamburgers, mince, rolled roasts and sausages right through until their juices run clear. Cook white fish until it flakes easily with a fork.

• Separate raw food from cooked food and store raw food at the bottom of the fridge to avoid juices dripping down and contaminating other food.
• Check your fridge temperature is below 5°C and your freezer temperature is below -15°C.
• If storing hot foods, aim to keep the temperature above 60°C.
• Cover all food with lids, tin foil or plastic wrap.
• Don’t store food in opened tin cans.

• Your doctor
• Nurse on Call Tel. 1300 606 024 – for expert health information and advice (24 hours, 7 days)
• Your local council health department
• Food Safety Hotline Tel. 1300 364 352, Email: foodsafety@dhs.vic.gov.au

• Food poisoning bacteria can multiply very quickly, particularly in certain conditions.
• Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and those with an illness are more at risk of food poisoning.
• Take care when preparing, storing or serving food, especially high risk foods.
• See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience symptoms of food poisoning.

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