|
As Food Safety Week kicks off today, the Agency is warning older people about
the life-threatening danger of listeria food poisoning and the simple steps
that can be taken to avoid it.
The number of cases of listeria in people over 60 years of age has doubled
in the past nine years. And one in three of the people who get food poisoning
caused by listeria die as a result.
‘Listeria can make people very ill and 95% of cases end up needing
treatment in hospital’
Listeria is a type of food poisoning bacteria that can live and grow in a wide
range of food – chilled ready-to-eat food in particular – for example
pâté, cooked sliced meats, certain soft cheeses and smoked fish.
The Agency is working with GP surgeries, pharmacies and a range of community
groups across the UK, specifically in areas with large populations of older
people, to advise the over 60s to take care with chilled food. They are being
advised not to use food past its 'use by' date, to make sure their fridges are
between 0°C and 5°C, and to follow storage instructions on food labels.
These food safety messages are being targeted directly at older people through
a poster and leaflet campaign, and advice will also be handed out on millions
of pharmacy paper bags used for dispensing prescriptions.
News is included on the IvyRose website to inform visitors
about current health issues, but not to endorse any particular view or activity.
The views stated in the article above are not necessarily those of IvyRose Ltd..
Material in this news item was released by the UK Food Standards Agency on 15
June 2009 and may have been edited (e.g. in style,
length, and/or for ease of understanding by our international readers) for inclusion
here. For further information, please visit their website. A link is provided
below.
|
