Food poisoning and how to
prevent it
Food safety at home and in the community
Dont let your food turn nasty!
Food poisoning is a serious health problem. It
can cause severe illness and even death.
Food poisoning is frequently caused by bacteria
from food that has been poorly handled, stored or
cooked.
During food preparation
Hands and equipment (such as knives and cutting
boards) can be contaminated with bacteria from
raw food. It is important to wash hands and tools
properly to reduce the likelihood of food becoming
contaminated with bacteria.
During storage
Symptoms of food poisoning can include nausea,
stomach cramps, diarrhoea, fever, and headaches.
Symptoms can occur within 30 minutes of eating, or
a number of hours or days later. They can be mild
or severe.
Bacteria from raw food can contaminate ready-toeat or cooked foods if they are stored in such a way
that they come into contact with each other. This
includes contact between raw food juices and
cooked or ready to eat foods.
Some bacteria can also cause other symptoms.
Listeria bacteria may cause miscarriage or other
serious illness in susceptible people.
The food poisoning chain
Certain people are more at risk from food
poisoning. This includes young children, pregnant
women, the elderly, and people with other
illnesses.
there must be bacteria on the food
the bacteria must have the right conditions to
grow - that is warmth (between 5C and 60C),
moisture and food
the bacteria must have time to grow and
multiply.
There must be a chain of events for food
poisoning to occur:
Getting help for food poisoning
If you, your family, or friends suffer illness after
consuming food or drink, and you think the illness is
related to food that has been purchased or eaten:
see a doctor
By preventing each of these, the food poisoning
chain will be broken and food poisoning prevented.
report the illness to your local council health unit,
so that the cause can be investigated.
High-risk food
Bacteria in food
Food poisoning bacteria are often naturally present
in food and can multiply quickly under the right
conditions. It is very important not to give bacteria
the conditions under which they multiply rapidly.
Bacteria grow and multiply on some types of food
more easily than on others. The types of foods
which bacteria prefer include:
Bacteria are everywhere in the soil, on animals,
on people and on the things people touch and use
but they are mostly harmless.
However, some bacteria cause food borne illness,
and it is possible for foods, such as meat or
vegetables, to contain food poisoning bacteria from
the start, or to be contaminated at a later stage.
meat
poultry
dairy products
eggs
smallgoods
seafood
cooked rice
cooked pasta
prepared salads, coleslaws, and pasta salads
prepared fruit salads.
Department of Health
Temperature
Bacteria grow quickly in high-risk foods when kept
at temperatures between 5C and 60C. This is
called the Temperature Danger Zone.
If high-risk food is contaminated with food poisoning
bacteria and then left in the Temperature Danger
Zone for more than 4 hours, it may cause food
poisoning. It is very important not to keep high-risk
food in the Temperature Danger Zone any longer
than is absolutely necessary.
Cooking food to over 75C kills most of the
bacteria. Make sure food is thoroughly cooked, and
that the centre of the cooked food has reached
75C.
Water
Bacteria need moisture to grow. If there is no
moisture present, the growth of bacteria may slow
down or stop. That is why drying is an effective way
to preserve food. However, as soon as moisture is
added to dried foods, the risk of bacterial growth in
the foods increases.
Some common food poisoning bacteria
Bacteria type
Salmonella
Foods that present
the highest risk
Food poisoning
symptoms
Symptoms occur
Under-cooked meat,
poultry, eggs and
egg products
Nausea, stomach
cramps, diarrhoea,
fever and headache
Six hours to 3 days
after eating
contaminated food
Special problems
Symptoms can last
35 days
Staphylococcus
aureus
Campylobacter
Under-cooked meat
and poultry dishes,
egg products,
mayonnaise-based
salads, cream or
custard-filled
desserts
Acute vomiting,
nausea;
occasionally
diarrhoea and
cramps
One to 8 hours after
eating the
contaminated food
These bacteria
produce toxins in
food
Symptoms may last
about 24 hours
The toxin is not
destroyed during
cooking, so correct
storage of food
before and after
cooking is essential
Raw meat, raw
poultry, raw/unpasteurised milk
Diarrhoea,
abdominal pain,
nausea, headache
and/or vomiting
Usually 25 days
after eating
contaminated food
The bacteria are
killed when food is
fully cooked and
handled correctly by
food handlers
Household pets and
flies may be carriers
of the bacteria
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Symptoms may last
710 days.
25% of cases may
experience a
relapse
Department of Health
Some ways of preventing food poisoning
Training
; Good personal hygiene, such as thoroughly
Everyone handling food at home or working in a
food premises is encouraged to be trained in safe
food handling. Dofoodsafely, a free online learning
program, is a good place to start go to
http://dofoodsafely.health.vic.gov.au.
washing and drying hands when handling food.
; Avoid cross-contamination, such as keeping
raw foods and ready-to-eat foods separate, and
using separate, clean utensils, containers and
equipment.
; Cook foods thoroughly; make sure foods such
as meats and poultry are cooked until their core
temperature reaches 75C.
; Avoid the Temperature Danger Zone; keep
chilled foods cold at 5C or colder, and hot food
hot at 60C or hotter.
; Avoid spoiled foods, foods past their use-by
dates, or food in damaged containers or
packaging.
; When in doubt, throw it out.
More information
A range of resources on safe food handling is
available on the Department of Health Food Safety
website. Go to www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety
or phone 1300 364 352.
Local councils can also provide advice about safe
food handling.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has a
range of resources on food handling standards on
its website at www.foodstandards.gov.au
If you are selling food
If you are working in a food business, or with a
community group raising funds through food
events, the national Food Standards Code applies.
You must also follow the requirements that apply to
certain classes of food premises, that is:
Class 1 and 2
Follow the business food safety program
Follow the advice given by the food safety
supervisor, unless your premises is exempt.
Class 3
Complete the required basic records about your
food handling practices and keep them onsite.
Your council will advise you about the class of your
food premises.
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To receive this publication in an accessible format
phone 1300 364 352.
Authorised by the Victorian Government,
Melbourne.
December 2010
Department of Health
