Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs.

This can happen if food:

is not cooked or reheated thoroughly
is not stored correctly – for example, it has not been frozen or chilled
is left out for too long
is handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands
is eaten after its 'use by' date

Who is most at risk?

People who are most likely to suffer severe symptoms are young children, pregnant women, people with an underlying health condition (such as cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney disease) and older people.

People in these groups can have lower immunity, meaning it is more difficult to fight off bacteria and viruses.

Extra care should be taken when preparing, cooking and storing food for yourself or others in these groups.

How to report a food safety or hygiene issue

You can report a food problem in a restaurant, a food shop, a concern about an item purchased or with food ordered online to us where the business is located in Torfaen. The food safety team will consider the complaint and determine the most appropriate course of action.

What you can report

You can report:

suspected food poisoning
a foreign object found in your food
dirty premises
poor hand hygiene
poor food handling
food with visible signs of mould or decay
food sold past its use-by date (opens in new tab)
unavailable or incorrect allergen information (opens in new tab)

How you can reduce the risk of food poisoning at home

Following the 4Cs of food hygiene and other tips will help you prepare, make and store food safely:

cook food correctly (opens in new tab) by following the guidance on time and temperature
chill your food below 5 degrees (opens in new tab), this will stop or significantly slow the growth of bacteria
clean (opens in new tab) food equipment and surfaces thoroughly. This helps to stop harmful bacteria and viruses from spreading onto food
avoid cross-contamination (opens in new tab) which might lead to bacteria passing from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods via things like re-usable shopping bags, knives and chopping boards
use food and drink by the 'use by' date (opens in new tab) on the label, even if it looks and smells fine – eating food after this date could put your health at risk as you can’t smell or taste bacteria which make you ill
good personal hygiene (opens in new tab) is essential when you're preparing food. This will help ensure that bacteria you may have come into contact with isn't passed to others in their food.

Bacteria and viruses that can cause food poisoning

Public Health

01633 648009

public.health@torfaen.gov.uk