Food Advice

  • Wash your hands as often as possible to prevent food poisoning.
  • Store food at the right temperature.
  • Cook food carefully and don't keep hot longer than necessary.
  • Keep equipment and areas clean and tidy to prevent pests and bacteria.

Food Safety

This section contains the nitty-gritty of food safety: what you should be doing and why. It is designed for anyone who works with or produces food of any kind. Need advice? Click here to see how we can help.

Bacteria

Bacteria: they are all around us, yet we don’t know because they are so small we cannot see them. They are found everywhere, from animals to water, money to food - most are harmless, but some types are harmful and can make us ill, or even cause death.

Some common bacteria that cause food poisoning are pictured below (not actual size).

E.Coli Salmonella Staphylococcus Aureus
Bacillus Cereus Clostridium Perfringens Clostridium Botulinium

Sources of Bacteria

Bacteria

Sources

E.Coli

Human and animal intestines; raw meat; sewage; raw burgers; gravy; raw milk.

Salmonella

Human and animal intestines; faeces; raw meat and poultry, eggs and milk; insects, birds, vermin and domestic pets.

Staphylococcus Aureus

Humans: skin, nose, hands, throat and ears; cuts, burns and scratches; raw milk.

Bacillus Cereus

Cereals, soil, dust, vegetation and spices; rice and rice dishes; Soya sauce and cornflour.

Clostridium Perfringens

Human and animal intestines; soil; dust; flies; raw meat and poultry.

Clostridium Botulinium

Soil; meat and fish; canned salmon; smoked fish; vacuum-packed meat; bottled vegetables and herb oils.