Food Poisoning Policy

Policy Statement

This care organisation takes food quality seriously. It will ensure that at all times the people who use its services are kept as safe as possible from food poisoning and related food-associated illness by the adoption of the very highest standards of food hygiene and food preparation. If food poisoning does occur, the organisation will ensure that its staff are able to recognise the signs and symptoms and know what action to take.

Aim of the Policy

This policy is intended to:

protect people receiving care from food poisoning and food-related illness
ensure that staff respond appropriately in any food poisoning incident.

Food Hygiene Policy

This policy should be read in conjunction with the organisation’s policies and procedures on food safety and hygiene.

{{org_field_name}} believes that the effective management of food safety relies heavily on having written operational policies and procedures in place for the safe preparation, storage and handling of food. The organisation is aware that poorly stored, prepared, cooked or presented food can be a source of food poisoning if food becomes contaminated by organisms such as Salmonella and Listeria. These can cause illnesses that may be serious or even fatal for people who are vulnerable, such as people who are infirm or who are immunocompromised.

All staff in the organisation that are responsible for the preparation or serving of food will be expected to read the food hygiene policy and implement it carefully.

The main causes of food poisoning are known to include:

infection from food handlers due to poor hygiene practice
not cooking food properly
not defrosting food correctly
storing food incorrectly which allows bacteria to grow
cross contamination of foods after cooking.

Key actions required to ensure the provision of safe, high-quality food include:

staff preparing food following all appropriate hygiene law and best practice food management guidance, such as Safer Food Better Business published by the Food Standards Agency
ensuring that all food preparation areas, tools and equipment are clean
ensuring that food is stored properly, that fridges are working effectively and are appropriately filled, and that food is thrown away if it has reached its “use by” date
staff preparing food taking all reasonable, practical steps to avoid the risk of cross contamination of food, ingredients, work surfaces and equipment
staff preparing or handling food maintaining a high level of personal hygiene and washing their hands before and after handling foodstuffs
cooking food to the correct temperature and holding hot and cold food in the correct safe temperature range before serving.

Any member of staff who is responsible for preparing food and who becomes ill while at work with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms should follow the “fitness for work” requirements in the food hygiene policy and report their illness to whoever is in charge at the time. They should stop work and only return when they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours.

The food hygiene policy will be presented to new staff during induction. It will also be included in staff training programmes. All staff who are responsible for the preparation or serving of food will be expected to complete the training specified in the policy.

Food Poisoning Definition

{{org_field_name}} understands food poisoning to refer to any infectious or toxic disease caused by consuming food or drink which has become infected with toxins, bacteria, viruses or parasites, usually as a result of poor food hygiene.

Types of Food Poisoning

{{org_field_name}} recognises that a number of different types of food-related illness can occur from food poisoning. Most food poisoning is caused by contamination of foodstuffs by bacteria and viruses. The type of illness and presentation will vary according to the microorganism concerned.

Staff in {{org_field_name}} should be aware of the following signs and symptoms relating to the most common of these microorganisms.

Campylobacter — found mostly in undercooked or raw poultry, but also in unpasteurised milk and untreated water, typically causes diarrhoea and vomiting.
Salmonella — found in raw or undercooked meat, poultry and eggs, typically causes diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps.
E. coli — commonly found in the gut, most strains of E. coli are harmless but those that produce Verocytotoxin can cause severe illness with the most dangerous strain being VTEC O157 — symptoms typically begin three or four days after exposure to the bacteria and include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
Clostridium perfringens — spores multiply in foods that are not promptly served when hot or are improperly refrigerated can cause diarrhoea and abdominal cramps.
Listeria — found in soil and water and some animals, including poultry and cattle, can be present in raw milk and foods made from raw milk and causes severe illness, including fever, stiff neck, confusion, weakness and vomiting.
Bacillus cereus — like E. coli will multiply quickly in foods at room temperature and produces toxins which cause watery diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and vomiting.
Norovirus — spread by contaminated vomit or faeces from an infected person, Noroviruses cause acute gastroenteritis.

It should be noted that not all cases of sickness or diarrhoea are as a result of food poisoning.

Treatment Actions

If anyone receiving care becomes ill with suspected food poisoning immediate action should be taken to ensure their safety and wellbeing. The individual concerned should be advised to seek medical advice and any prescribed treatment should be added to their personalised plan of care and followed carefully by staff.

In most cases, the symptoms are unpleasant but mild and will clear up over one to three days. Sometimes it takes longer for the infection to pass and the symptoms may be more severe.

The main risk, especially for older people, is dehydration. The main treatment is therefore to drink plenty of fluids. People should be encouraged to eat again when they feel ready. A start can be made with small meals of bland, non-fatty foods as appropriate, and people should be encouraged to eat normally when they can.

In all cases, care staff should work with relevant healthcare professionals and the individual’s GP in providing required person-centred treatment and support. In most cases, this will include keeping them warm and comfortable, encouraging them to rest, providing drinks and watching out for symptoms of dehydration which include tiredness, dizziness, dry mouth and passing little urine.

Reporting

All suspected food poisoning or food-related illness should be recorded in the care notes and reported by staff to the duty manager.

Where someone is diagnosed by a GP or hospital doctor to be suffering from food poisoning — and where there is reason to believe that the incident has been caused by food produced or served by {{org_field_name}} — the responsible manager should report the incident to the local authority public health infection control team. Where required, food inspectors will launch an appropriate investigation into the source of the infection. An incident report should be completed.

In the event of a serious food poisoning incident, where it is suspected that a certain food may not be compliant with food safety requirements, the food concerned should be withdrawn immediately and held pending investigation.

Managers and staff must comply fully with food inspectors in the conduct of any investigation.

Outbreaks

A food poisoning incident is referred to as an “outbreak” where two or more people living in the same place suffer similar symptoms at the same time. In adult social care, “outbreaks” are mostly relevant in settings such as care homes and day centres.

An outbreak constitutes a serious infection control incident. Staff and managers should:

report the outbreak immediately to the local authority public health infection control team who will investigate and co-ordinate any response
co-operate with any investigation and follow the instructions issued by the infection control team.

Full records should be kept of the number of people receiving care and/or staff affected. Records should include symptoms and the dates symptoms started.

During any outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting in a care home, the policy on infection control management should be followed carefully by staff.

Investigations

In all cases of suspected food poisoning or food-related illness, the organisation should carry out an appropriate investigation of its own. This should be led by the infection control and prevention lead.

The investigation should check that practice is compliant with policies and procedures and that training is adequate. All relevant policies, procedures and risk assessments should be reviewed and updated as required.

The infection control and prevention lead must ensure the implementation of any changes or recommendations made following an investigation, whether this is an internal investigation or one conducted by local authority public health teams. The organisation should always be seeking to improve the quality of its services and safeguard the health and safety of the people who use those services. Learning from incidents forms an important part of this process. Wherever necessary, external expertise should be sought to improve policies and processes.

Wherever an investigation suggests that {{org_field_name}} is in any way at fault for a particular incident, a full apology and explanation should be provided to the individual concerned.

Training, Monitoring and Supervision

{{org_field_name}} considers training to be a key element in ensuring high-food hygiene standards.

All food handling staff should be appropriately trained. Training should include learning about the dangers of poor hygiene and about the need for proper personal hygiene and handwashing techniques. Training must be designed to raise awareness and should form part of the induction process for any new staff. All food preparation staff should be appropriately qualified and be offered regular updates to develop their skills and ensure that their infection control techniques are up to date. Records should be kept of all training completed, including dates and course content.

Managers and supervisors in {{org_field_name}} will be responsible for monitoring and supervising food hygiene standards and compliance with the food hygiene policy and its associated procedures.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

CH127. Food Poisoning