Food Poisoning and Food ComplaintsFood poisoning
Food poisoning is any illness caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. It can be caused by a number of different bacteria, germs, viruses or chemicals. The most common type of food poisoning is bacterial. Once the bacteria have entered your body it may be a number of days before you actually become ill.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms can vary from mild to severe and will generally include diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and fever.
How long will it last?
The length of illness may also vary, but in general most forms of viral illness lasts up to 48 hours, bacterial food poisoning will usually last for four to five days and the length of illness from chemical food poisoning will vary according to the chemical causing the illness.
How is it spread?
Bacteria are spread by eating contaminated food or water and by person to person. After eating contaminated food the bacteria grow in numbers in the gut and are passed out in your faeces. Bacteria are not visible to the eye and can then be spread from unwashed hands to other surfaces such as taps, toilet flush handles, light switches and door handles. They can also be spread directly to other people and to food.
How can I prevent it from spreading?
- Wash your hands carefully before preparing any food and, if possible, do not prepare food for others when you are unwell
- Wash your hands carefully after using the toilet, handling nappies or after contact with pets
- Use soap, hot water and paper towels – do not share towels with anyone else
- Clean and disinfect toilet seats, flush handles, wash-hand basin taps, light switches and toilet door handles regularly throughout the day on every day that you are unwell
- If you are a food handler or work with vulnerable groups, under-fives, sick people or elderly people, let your employer know immediately and visit your GP as soon as possible as you will have to stay off work for at least 48 hours, 24 hours for children at school, from your last bout of illness
What should I do?
Rehydration
Drink plenty of fluids and perhaps use rehydration solutions, which are available from pharmacies, or consult your GP. If you work with food, children, sick people or elderly people, you should get further advice from your GP. You should only return to work when you have been free of symptoms for at least 48 hours, or longer if advised to by your doctor or this unit.
If you are concerned about your health or the health of someone else, you may also contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for advice.
Reporting possible food poisoning
If you think that your illness was caused by food prepared outside the home, you should report the incident to Southwark’s Food, Health and Safety Unit by calling 020 7525 2000, or by emailing food@southwark.gov.uk
For more information about how to make a complaint about possible food poisoning, read the leaflet linked to below.
Why is it important to report food poisoning?
If you think your illness has been caused by food from a restaurant or other food business, the local environmental health department needs to know so it can investigate the business in question. If the environmental health officers find a problem with the business's food hygiene practices, and gets the business to improve them, this could help prevent other people suffering from food poisoning.
How can I avoid food poisoning in the future?
- Buy food from reputable suppliers
- Make sure the food is in date and the packaging is not damaged
- Take food home as quickly as possible and put high-risk foods directly into your fridge
- Keep raw and cooked foods separately – store cooked foods above raw foods in your refrigerator and store raw meat or defrosting food at the bottom of the fridge
- Defrost frozen food thoroughly before cooking, except if the manufacturer's instructions state otherwise
- Cook food thoroughly and evenly and make sure it is piping hot when you eat it - meat that is undercooked and still pink may still contain bacteria that can cause illness
- Do not reheat food more than once and ensure it is piping hot when you eat it
Making a food complaint
Southwark's Food, Health and Safety Unit is the point of contact for any complaints about food being advertised or sold in the borough, such as
- An item of food containing a foreign body, eg an insect or hair
- The inaccurate labelling of food
- Misleading or inaccurate advertising of food
If you would like to make a complaint about food, please read the Word document linked to below and call Southwark’s Food, Health and Safety Unit on 020 7525 2000, or email ohs@southwark.gov.uk
Useful websites
Contact us
Food team
Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7525 3077
food@southwark.gov.uk
The Chaplin Centre
Thurlow Street
London
SE17 2DG
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