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This cartoon scene of man sneezing in crowded cinema, designed by Herbert Mayo Bateman was to be used in the series ‘Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases', launched by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information in 1942. The message from the Department of Health remains the same nearly 70 years later as we start 2009 fighting off coughs, colds and the viruses which cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Late in 2008, ‘winter vomiting disease’ made an earlier than usual appearance, making thousands of people ill.  We are now warned that the coldest start to winter for 30 years could contribute to a surge in norovirus.

Norovirus is the most common cause of sickness and diarrhoea in England and Wales and the number of cases typically begins to rise in the winter months. Last year more than three million people were struck down by the bug, which can prove deadly to children, the elderly and the infirm.  It is highly contagious, and people who handle food should be excluded from duties until at least 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

'Unfortunately there is no specific treatment for norovirus apart from letting the illness run its course,' said the HPA. Most people will make a full recovery within 1 to 2 days but it is important to drink plenty of fluids during that time to prevent dehydration especially in the very young or elderly.

An alarming rise in the rate of the potentially fatal form of food poisoning is baffling public health officials. In 2008 the HPA recorded a 65 percent rise in cases of listeriosis with 89 cases reported up to week 23 compared with 54 over the same period last year. Both men and women over 60 are affected and the increase cannot be explained by individual outbreaks.

Stuart Spears writing in Environmental Health Practitioner explained in their August issue why listeria has the power to provoke panic:

“Between 20 percent and 40 percent of those who contract listeriosis can expect to die. It is this high mortality rate that explains why an upward trend in rates in the last six years, compounded by a sharp increase in reported cases so far this year, has become a source of serious concern”.

Listeria Hysteria’ was one of the many headlines in newspapers in 1988 when pregnant women and their newborn babies were the most likely victims. The advice then was for this vulnerable group to avoid manufactured pate and soft cheeses.

What has changed is that, since 2001, the increase has been predominantly among patients aged over 60 while rates among other vulnerable groups, such as the immuno-compromised, the pregnant and the newborn, have remained relatively constant.

Change in food chain

Dr Jim McLauchlin, director of the Health Protection Agency food safety microbiology laboratory at Colindale has said:

“What we are sure of is that something really has changed and I believe that the cause has something to do with the food chain”.

Listeria food poisoning can happen at any point in the food chain whether on the farm, at the point of production or in the domestic kitchen. Another factor that makes it difficult for the HPA to identify the source of infection is that listeriosis can take up to 3 months to incubate. This makes it hard for the patient to remember what they have eaten. Secondly, the seriousness of the disease does not make this an easy group to study. Some are very ill with the disease and others die, while many are difficult to interview

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Foods linked to cases of listeriosis

Sandwiches have been found to be the culprits in several outbreaks and sliced cooked meat has also been implicated. However, unlike the 1980s, there is no single source of contamination and the majority of cases are now sporadic.

Earlier this year, routine sampling of sandwiches by EHPs from Ashford BC found listeria at Anchor Catering resulting in thousands of sandwiches destined for hospitals, schools and businesses across the South East being recalled and the company voluntarily halting production.

One cluster of listeriosis cases was found to be linked to a different sandwich production facility where investigators traced the source back to contaminated machinery parts. They also discovered that once the sandwiches had reached the catering outlet in a hospital, they had been stored at the wrong temperature thus allowing the low levels of bacteria to multiply.

Advice to caterers

In the light of new information, it is always good advice to review your procedures for high risk foods including sandwich preparation and handling. Always ensure that raw ingredients including cress and lettuce are thoroughly washed as cress in particular has been found to be a source of listeria contamination. Ideally, sandwiches and salads should be prepared in a temperature controlled environment, but if this is not possible then prepare in small batches so that the temperature of ingredients does not rise significantly. Once made, chill salads and sandwiches to below 8°C before putting on display. Check food temperatures often – do not rely of digital read-outs as these only measure air temperatures and are often inaccurate. If the temperature of the sandwiches rises slightly above 8°C keep them for a maximum of 4 hours and then discard.

The last few years have seen an increased public interest into food traceability and according to many professionals it is the ‘buzz word’ of the decade. In January this year the EU Traceability Law came into effect making it compulsory for you to be involved in traceability.

Background Information

So, what is traceability? Traceability can be defined as the ability to trace and follow a food through all stages of production, processing and distribution. According to Jenny Morris, Policy Officer, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, this simply means that catering businesses must be able to identify their product suppliers.

So, why has it become a legal requirement? The legislation was produced in response to recent food scares where products were found to be unsafe for human consumption i.e. Sudan 1 and BSE. The legislation follows food from farm to fork.

What are the benefits to your catering business?

• Food traceability is essential to ensure that the food you sell is safe.
• In the event of a food safety or quality issue a traceability system is essential.
• By having a system in place it is possible to track and trace any foodstuff rapidly.
• Through tracing unsafe food quickly and easily the health of the consumer is protected.
• Financially your business is protected as a traceability system ensures that only incriminated foods are recalled and withdrawn.

What do I need to record?

This information must be kept:

• Name and address of supplier, nature of products supplied

• Date of delivery

The recording of the following information is not compulsory, but it is advisable:

• Amount of food delivered

• Batch number (if any)

• Description of the product (e.g. bulk or pre-packed, variety of vegetables/fruit).

If the above information is recorded on the product delivery docket why not use this for your records instead.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health advises caterers to check that suppliers provide sufficient details about batches of products so that in the event of a problem being identified only affected foods are withdrawn.

The law does not require caterers to establish a link between products coming in your kitchen and products leaving it. However, it is beneficial if you do. This is because if there is ever a recall only contaminated food will be withdrawn and not all your stock.

How long do I need to keep records for?

Traceability information for the following foods needs to be for a period of five years.

1. Non-perishable foods with a ‘best before’ date less that 5 years
2. Non-perishable foods without a specified shelf life (e.g. wine)
3. Perishable foods with a ‘use-by’ date greater that 3 months

Exceptions:

1. Non-perishable products with a specified shelf life greater than 5 years – Records must be retained for the period of the shelf life plus 6 months.

2. a) Perishable products, which have a ‘use by’ date less than the 3 months destined directly for the final consumer.

b) Perishable products without a specified ‘use by’ date (e.g. fruit and vegetables) destined directly for the final consumer.

Retain records for a period of 6 months after date of production or delivery.

Traceability is a straightforward system of removing contaminated food from the supply chain. It guarantees that only unfit food is excluded and the problem is contained quickly without losing credibility.

PHSC Group news

The logos of PHSC plc and its Group companies can be found on the No. 51 car of Stefan Wilson, a driver in the Formula 3 motor racing series. Stefan has won four races in 2008, including events in England, Belgium and Romania. In 2007 he was voted Young Driver of the Year, earning him a test in the McLaren F1 car more usually driven by Lewis Hamilton.

A schedule of public training course has been announced by PHSC plc Group companies. Topics as diverse as working in confined spaces, food safety, asbestos awareness and noise at work can be studied at a number of venues this Autumn. Where a client wishes to send multiple delegates, it may be more cost-effective to run the training course in-house so please ask for prices. Details of the training courses can be found here (pdf, 73kb).

Carol Hudson:
Carol Hudson is the Sales and Marketing Co-ordinator within the Temporary Staff section at RSA Environmental Health Ltd. Carol helps place professional environmental health staff into temporary positions, mostly within local authorities where they carry out enforcement work. This generally means she spends a great deal of time on the phone talking to clients and candidates and trying to find the right role for the right person. It’s very much like match-making and there’s nothing Carol finds more rewarding than helping someone to find a job.

And finally ...

Conveying the wrong message…

Workers in the baggage handling section of Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport had a bit of a surprise on 26 August when an elderly woman came through the baggage chute for sorting.

It seems she mistook instructions at check-in, and thought that she was supposed to get to the plane by conveyor! The 78-year-old lady was en-route to Germany when she sat down on the on the unmanned belt and was promptly whisked off to the baggage handling centre. Staff helped get her back to the correct location and, uninjured, she made her flight as planned. There are no reports as to what became of her luggage!