Food Industry on E.coli alert
vigilant and efficient or 'face the consequences' as investigations
continue into the biggest outbreak of E. coli O157 in
Ireland to date.
The Irish food safety agency has warned the food industry to be vigilant and efficient or 'face the consequences' as investigations continue into the biggest outbreak of E. coli O157 in Ireland to date.
Last month a top restaurant in Dublin closed its doors after the latest outbreak of the E.coli bug was believed to have started there.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said this week that the investigations should serve as a 'wake up call' to the entire food sector and that no area can be overlooked in the proper monitoring of food safety systems.
According to Peter Whelan, director of service contracts at the FSAI, E. coli O157 is the most serious food poisoning threat to consumers as up to 30 per cent of people infected with E. coli O157 can develop kidney failure and 3-5 per cent of these people die.
"This outbreak should serve as a strong reminder to the entire food industry that they can not be complacent about the need for robust, rigorous and closely monitored procedures for ensuring food safety. Training all food workers in the practice of food safety is now imperative for the industry and for the good of the public's health and well-being," said Whelan.
The FSAI has produced a range of literature to advise food businesses about the dangers of not complying with the legal requirements. The leaflets include What is HACCP?, Terminology Explained, How to Select an External HACCP Consultant and HACCP for the Catering Sector.
