Report on the circumstances leading to the 1996 outbreak of infection with E.coli 0157 in Central Scotland, the implications for food safety and the lessons to be learned.

ANNEX VII (Para 8.2 refers)

SCOTTISH OFFICE FOOD SAFETY PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN

Trade Advertisements

"If you produce or sell food for a living, hygiene is a major responsibility. For both you and your employees. Food legislation requires that you identify all steps in your activities which are critical to food safety and ensure that adequate safety controls are in place. The checklist will help you achieve this. For further information, contact your local council's environmental health officer."

Sir David Carter Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

CHECKLIST

1 Provide food hygiene training. Don't leave anything to chance. Train all your staff who handle food.

2 Remind staff about the importance of personal hygiene. It's essential that they wash their hands between handling raw and ready-to-eat food, before starting work, and after going to the toilet, of course.

3 Get staff to report illnesses. Employees must tell you when they have an illness like diarrhoea, vomiting or infected cuts.

4 See that there is enough room to separate raw food from other cooked or read-to-eat foods. If it is not possible to keep the two apart, either change the layout of your premises or else reduce the range of foods.

5 Make sure you have adequate washing facilities. There should be easy access to sinks and wash basins equipped with hot water and soap.

6 Take measures to avoid cross-contamination. Hands, surfaces, equipment and utensils can all spread germs from raw to cooked food. Clean them thoroughly.

7 Maintain temperature controls. Check all fridges and freezers operate at the correct temperature. Hot food should be served hot (above 63ºC) or cooled as quickly as possible to below 10ºC. If re-heated, food should reach 82ºC. Use fridge and meat thermometers to check. If you produce cooked meats refer to the "Safer Cooked Meat Production Guidelines".

8 Have an effective cleaning programme. Make frequent checks to see your staff are cleaning up after themselves. And that they're using the correct cleaning materials.

9 Make sure you know your supplier. Use reputable firms, check condition of goods on receipt and check delivery vehicles, date marks and temperatures.

10 Regularly monitor your food safety controls. Review how well your systems are working. Especially if you've changed the way you work or what you sell. If there are any problems, take immediate action.

Public Advertisements

"Food which is to be cooked should always be kept apart from food which is not. And you should never use the same knife or chopping board for both, unless thoroughly washed between use. By keeping to this, and the rest of our ten point plan, we can reduce the risk of food poisoning. Cut out the plan and keep it where the rest of your family or business can see it."

Sir David Carter Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

10 POINT PLAN

1 Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food, after going to the toilet or handling pets.

2 Prepare and store all uncooked food separately from cooked food - keep raw meat or fish at the bottom of your fridge.

3 Keep the coldest part of your fridge below 5ºC. Get a fridge thermometer. Keep eggs in the fridge.

4 Keep your kitchen clean. Wash worktops, chopping boards and utensils between handling food which is to be cooked and food which is not.

5 Defrost frozen meats and poultry fully (in the fridge or microwave) before cooking, unless the cooking instructions state otherwise.

6 Cook food thoroughly, following the instructions on the pack. If you re-heat food, make sure it is piping hot.

7 Undercooked meat, particularly burgers, sausages and poultry, can cause illness. Take extra care to cook them thoroughly until the juice has run clear and no pink bits remain. Do not eat food containing uncooked eggs.

8 Keep hot food hot and cold food cold - don't leave them standing around. Take chilled and frozen food home quickly - then put them in your fridge or freezer at once.

9 Check "use by" dates - use food only within the recommended period.

10 Keep pets away from food, dishes and worktops.