Food
Food must be safe to eat and prepared in a clean and hygienic
manner.
The Council carries out a number of activities to ensure that
food manufactured, prepared, processed, displayed and sold within
Broxbourne is safe to eat:
National Food Safety Week
This year Food Safety Week is 15 - 19 June
09
Broxbourne Council environmental health officers have been
focusing on the campaign to highlight to the over 60s the recent
rise in cases of Listeria which have doubled since 2001 and this
food poisoning bacteria causes the same number of deaths per
year as Salmonella and E.coli 0157 combined.
Officer have shared literatures and given talks to the U3A at
the Civic Hall and in retirement complexes within the Borough as
well as The Italian Club and the Beaumont Centre.
Practical actions that people can do for themselves in order to
reduce the risk of contracting Listeria, includes storing food
correctly by:
- keeping fridges at the correct temperature
- following the storage instructions on the label
- using food by its use-by date (understanding the difference
between 'Best Before' and 'Use By')
Useful information is available on the Food Standards Agency's
guidance pages on storing
food and 'use
by dates'.
Food businesses advised to use properly cooked eggs
Following an outbreak of salmonella poisoning connected to
Spanish eggs, the Borough of Broxbourne is repeating its
advice to caterers that only properly cooked or pasteurised egg
should be used.
The initial findings of an investigation by environmental health
officers have linked the outbreak to a cafe in west London, where
at least five people had eaten before being taken ill.
Spanish eggs from the premises were found to be contaminated
with two strains of Salmonella Enteritidis, both of which were
found in people taken ill.
The Council would like to emphasise the need for good
hygiene practice in the handling and use of eggs on catering
premises. It has long been known that some eggs may be contaminated
with the salmonella food poisoning bug.
Proper cooking of the egg will kill the bug.
If at all possible food businesses should use pasteurised egg,
rather than ordinary egg, in products that will not be cooked or
only lightly cooked before eating, as pasteurisation kills harmful
bacteria such as salmonella. In kitchens and food preparation areas
where ordinary eggs are being used, good food hygiene practices are
important to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.
More information on the safe use of eggs in catering
establishments can be seen by clicking here or visiting
the Food Standards Agency's website.
Please contact the environmental health section on 01992
785511 for further information or e-mail the Council on
envhealth@broxbourne.gov.uk