Healthy Eating and Food Safety

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What you can do and where to get help and information

Healthy eating

You’re standing in a supermarket aisle looking at two similar products, trying to decide which to choose. You want to make the healthier choice but, as usual, you’re in a hurry. Well, help is at hand with the new trafficlight labelling system

Food poisoning

The main causes of food poisoning and food borne illness are:

• Preparing foods too far in advance
• Not cooking foods properly
• Not defrosting foods correctly
• Storing foods incorrectly (i.e. too warm) so that bacteria can grow quickly
• Cross contamination of foods after cooking
• Infection from people handling foods due to poor hygiene

For more information on the different types of food borne illnesses please see the links below.

Who is at Risk

We all are, but babies, young children and the elderly can very quickly become very ill when infected.

Pregnant women, people who already have a pre-existing illness, and anyone whose immune system is weakened can also be seriously affected by food borne illness.

Main Symptoms of Food-Borne Illness or Food Poisoning

If you have any of the following you may have a food borne illness:

• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness
• Fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Stomach Cramps
• Vomiting

Prevention of Food Borne Illness

• Wash hands thoroughly before handling food and always after handling raw meat, going to the toilet, blowing your nose or handling animals (including pets)
• Keep food preparation surfaces and utensils clean and disinfected (e.g. anti-bacterial)
• Prepare and store raw meat and 'ready-to-eat' food separately. Always keep raw and defrosting meat at the base of the refrigerator, below everything else
• Ensure that your refrigerator and freezer are operating properly, invest in a suitable thermometer. The refridgerator should operate at 5 degrees C or lower and the freezer at -18 degrees C or lower
• Check the 'Use by' dates on food and ensure that you use the food before the date expires
• Always store eggs in the refrigerator and do not eat food containing uncooked eggs
• Keep pets away from food and food preparation surfaces
• Defrost food, particularly meat and poultry thoroughly before cooking
• Cook food thoroughly. Follow the manufacturers' guidelines and ensure that food is piping hot throughout before consumption
• Cool food immediately after cooking and never allow it to be at room temperature for more than 4 hours. Always store left over food in the refrigerator as soon as it has cooled to room temperature

What to do if you have symptoms of food borne illness

Food borne illness can spread quickly, partly because everyone in the family could have eaten the same food and partly because the bacteria may be picked up by close family contact (e.g. nursing the sick). Viruses can also cause illness, similar to food poisoning and they also spread very quickly.

If you suspect you are suffering food poisoning it is recommended that you visit your doctor as soon as possible, who might ask you to submit a sample for examination.

If you or a member of your family are suffering from the symptoms of food poisoning, it is recommended that you follow the advice below to try and prevent the spread of the illness:

• Wash your hands after contact with the sick person, and before handling food
• Do not use the same towel or face cloth as someone who is suffering with food borne illness
• Clear up soiling accidents straightaway, wash with hot soapy water and disinfect with a disinfectant or bleach
• Disinfect door and toilet handles, taps and the toilet seat after use and disinfect the toilet bowl frequently
• Drink plenty of fluids while you are ill to prevent dehydration

What Kingston Council and partners are doing

Healthy Eating

Kingston has an obesity strategy, please find the full document at the bottom of this page.

Food Safety

The Council is responsible for ensuring that food sold in the borough is safe to eat. All food businesses that prepare, produce, cook or sell food are required to register with the council by law and they must comply with strict hygiene standards. If businesses do not meet these standards the Council will take action to secure the necessary improvements.

The Council has an enforcement policy in respect of food safety contraventions.

Contact

If you would like to talk to a member of the Food Safety team then please call 020 8547 5540.