East Suffolk Council
Preventing the spread of illness through food
People who work around open food while suffering from certain infections (mainly from bacteria and viruses) can contaminate the food or surfaces the food may come into contact with. This can spread infection to other people through the food.
The Food Standards Agency has published guidance for managers and staff to prevent the spread of infection by advising which illnesses and symptoms staff should report and what managers should do in response:
In summary the guidance says:
- Diarrhoea and/or vomiting are the main symptoms of illnesses that can be transmitted through food.
- Staff handling food or working in a food handling area must report these symptoms to management immediately.
- Managers must exclude staff with these symptoms from working with or around open food, normally for 48 hours from when symptoms stop naturally.
Different action is required in some cases, as explained in section 9 of the guidance.
In addition, all staff who handle food and who work around open food must always:
- Wash and dry their hands before handling food, or surfaces likely to come into contact with food, especially after going to the toilet.
This is because it is possible to be infected but not have symptoms.
Control of diarrhoea or vomiting illness in hospitality and leisure settings
You may not be able to control some infections being brought into your premises but it is your responsibility to ensure that you are able to control the spread amongst your customers and staff. Guidance for proprietors of food businesses is given below:
Further advice about food safety and hygiene is available on the Food Standards Agency website.