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39
During recent years there has been a great increase in the
number of recognised outbreaks of food poisoning and this
increase is associated with communal feeding. The foods
commonly associated with food poisoning are those which are
handled during preparation and in which bacterial multiplication
can readily take place. The general measures adopted for
the prevention of outbreaks of food poisoning are to ensure that
food intended for human consumption is not contaminated.
There can be no hesitation in saying that food poisoning outbreaks
are, for the most part, due either to raw materials infected
by the faeces of animals containing salmonellae, to unsatisfactory
methods of food preparation or to a disregard of
elementary personal hygiene. The difficulties in preventing
animal faecal excretors giving rise to salmonella infection in
human beings are formidable. It is essential for attention to be
paid to hygiene during and after the slaughter of food animals if
these dangers are to be reduced.
Those engaged in the catering trade are slowly beginning to
realise that food prepared some time before it is eaten, allowed
to cool slowly and then reheated to a moderate temperature
before it is served, is a potential danger to the consumer. The
education of food handlers in personal hygiene is essential.
This not only applies to food traders but also to householders.
In this connection Medical Officers of Health and Sanitary
Inspectors can do much by personal propaganda. The provision
of hot water, soap and towels for the use of food handlers
and the washing of hands thoroughly after visits to the water
closet, if carried out meticulously, will help to reduce outbreaks
of food poisoning.
The total number of outbreaks reported in Camberwell
during the year was five, involving 16 cases (4 of which were not
notified). Sporadic cases numbered 31. One of the outbreaks
occurred among nurses in a hospital and the remaining 4 were
family outbreaks.