Fight-back food poisoning

In 2005, there were nearly 80,000 reported cases of food poisoning in the UK. Whilst these figures are down on those a decade ago, many more go unreported and univestigated.

Hertsmere Borough Council is raising awareness of food hygiene amongst school children as part in the 14th National Food Safety Week.

The theme for this year's National Food Safety Week is on raising awareness of the 4 Cs for food safety: Cleanliness, Cooking, Chilling and Cross-contamination.

Cleanliness: keep your kitchen, equipment and work surfaces clean
Cooking: make sure food is properly cooked before eating
Chilling: keep perishable foods cold until you cook or eat them
Cross-contamination: don't let harmful germs spread around your kitchen

Evelyn Tyler, Environmental Health Promotion Officer at Hertsmere Borough Council, said: "As part of our aim to improve food safety and nutrition, and to help schoolchildren achieve a healthy balanced diet, Environmental Health is involved in a number of health promotion activities.

"We are sending out the Hertsmere Handwashing Teaching Pack, which received the 2005 Award in the Federation of Food and Drink Annual Foodlink National Food Safety Competition. The feedback from participating schools has been very positive with 10% of local schools using the pack and borrowing the Handwashing Cabinet from Environmental Health. In addition, school nurses have been able to use the packs and cabinet with pupils.

"This year we are also including our Food Resources Booklet and the new Food: a Fact of Life Teachers Guide to Healthy Eating, produced by the British Nutrition Foundation."

Melanie Leech, Director General of FDF, which organises the foodlink National Food Safety Week, said: "This year we will continue to work hard with national and local partners to raise awareness of the importance of the 4 Cs for food safety - cleanliness, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination - to help people across the UK continue to enjoy their food and remain food poisoning free."

National Food Safety Week 2006 runs from 12 to 18 June. Working with local environmental health and health promotion departments, schools, hospitals, manufacturers and retailers, it aims to show how to keep our food safe from the time it is bought until it is eaten.