National Food Safety Week

Stay safe this summer

(Date of issue: Tuesday, 1 June 2010)

To coincide with National Food Safety Week (7 - 13 June 2010), Carlisle City Council is reminding residents about the importance of good food hygiene in the home and how to eat healthily.

During the summer months levels of food poisoning soar. There are approximately 120,000 extra cases of illness recorded across the UK when the weather is at its warmest.

To help local communities learn more about the simple things that they can do to keep themselves and their family safe, Carlisle City Council’s Food Health and Safety team will be visiting the Livingwell Family Centre on Tuesday, 8 June and Belah Community Centre on Wednesday, 9 June, to offer advice. A stand will also be on display in the foyer of the Civic Centre so that members of the public visiting the Customer Contact Centre can get leaflets and advice direct from City Council Environmental Health Officers.

Cllr Ray Bloxham, Portfolio holder for Local Environment, said:

“Residents should not worry unduly about food poisoning; there are some simple common sense steps people can take to avoid getting ill. Just storing, handling and cooking food properly will minimise the risk.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that following simple principles will help people to keep food safe.

Bob Martin, a food safety expert at the FSA, said:

“Proper cooking will kill bugs. It’s especially important to make sure that poultry, pork, burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through. If there is any pink meat or the juices have any pink or red in them, germs could be lurking. Check your food is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Additionally, food that needs to be chilled must be kept in the fridge between 0◦c and 5◦c. Storage above this range can allow harmful bacteria to grow or harmful toxins to form.”

Avoiding cross contamination is also extremely important. Make sure you store raw meat covered and at the bottom of the fridge, below and away from ready-to-eat food. Regular hand washing when preparing food is also vital in the fight against food poisoning particularly after handling raw meat and before handling any ready-to-eat food.

In addition to tackling food hygiene issues, the City Council’s Sports and Recreation team, will also be giving guidance on nutrition, healthy eating and physical activity throughout National Food Safety Week.

Cllr Ray Bloxham added:

“Eating well is all about the different types of foods that make up our diet. It’s important that everyone takes a look at what they eat during the day to try and get the balance right. A healthy diet helps to prevent, or reduce the severity of, diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A healthy diet may also help to reduce the risk of developing some cancers.

“This teamed with taking greater steps towards a greater physical activity can make a significant difference to health. This can include every day activities such as walking, gardening, washing the car as well as exercise such as swimming or cycling. It’s never too late to start building up your level of physical activity.”

For more advice on nutrition and healthy eating go to the sports and physical activity link on the City Council’s website - www.carlisle.gov.uk

For more advice on food safety visit www.eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe