Safer Food Scores /
  • Home
    • Why Choose Us
    • Food Manufacturers
    • Central and Dark Kitchens
    • Schools and Universities
    • Hospitals and Care Homes
    • Food Retail
    • Hotels and Food Service
    • Offices and Workplaces
    • Other
  • Consultancy
    • About Our Consultancy
    • Food Hygiene
      • Food Hygiene Consultancy
      • HACCP & Food Safety Management Systems
      • Food Hygiene Audit
      • SALSA accreditation
      • BRC accreditation
      • Food sample testing
      • SFBB Coaching
      • Food Hygiene Ratings
    • Food Allergens
    • Health & Safety
    • Food Labelling
      • Natashas Law Food Labelling Guidance
      • Label Compliance Checks
      • Nutritional Content Checks
      • Food Labelling Courses
    • Food Date Labels
    • Legal Support
    • Primary Authority
    • Restaurant start ups
  • Training
    • About Our Training
    • E-learning
    • Course Dates & Prices
    • Food Hygiene Courses
      • Level 1 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 2 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 2 Award in HACCP
      • Level 3 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 3 Audit and Inspection Skills
      • Level 4 Award in Food Safety
      • Food Hygiene Update
    • Food Allergen courses
      • Level 2 Award in Food Allergen Awareness
      • Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management
    • Food Labelling Courses
    • Health & Safety Courses
      • Level 1 in Health & Safety
      • Level 2 in Health & Safety
      • Level 3 in Health and Safety
      • Level 2 in Risk Assessment
    • Train the Trainer Courses
      • Level 3 in EAT – Education And Training
      • Level 3 Award in Delivering Training
    • Fire Safety Courses
      • Level 1 In Fire Safety
      • Level 2 In Fire Safety
    • Environmental courses
      • IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce
      • IEMA Environmental Sustainability for Managers
    • Licensing Courses
      • Level 2 For Personal Licence Holders
    • Training Venues
      • London – Central
      • London – West
      • Hertfordshire
      • Bedfordshire
      • North Bucks
      • South Bucks
      • Essex
  • Software
    • About our software
    • Digital diaries
    • Audit management
    • Incident management
    • Training management
    • Risk management
    • E-learning
  • Get A Quote
  • News
  • Clients
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • Join Our Team
Safer Food Scores

protecting your reputation

SFS Hub Login

  • 01442 877322
hello@saferfoodscores.co.uk
  • Home
    • Why Choose Us
    • Food Manufacturers
    • Central and Dark Kitchens
    • Schools and Universities
    • Hospitals and Care Homes
    • Food Retail
    • Hotels and Food Service
    • Offices and Workplaces
    • Other
  • Consultancy
    • About Our Consultancy
    • Food Hygiene
      • Food Hygiene Consultancy
      • HACCP & Food Safety Management Systems
      • Food Hygiene Audit
      • SALSA accreditation
      • BRC accreditation
      • Food sample testing
      • SFBB Coaching
      • Food Hygiene Ratings
    • Food Allergens
    • Health & Safety
    • Food Labelling
      • Natashas Law Food Labelling Guidance
      • Label Compliance Checks
      • Nutritional Content Checks
      • Food Labelling Courses
    • Food Date Labels
    • Legal Support
    • Primary Authority
    • Restaurant start ups
  • Training
    • About Our Training
    • E-learning
    • Course Dates & Prices
    • Food Hygiene Courses
      • Level 1 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 2 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 2 Award in HACCP
      • Level 3 Award in Food Safety
      • Level 3 Audit and Inspection Skills
      • Level 4 Award in Food Safety
      • Food Hygiene Update
    • Food Allergen courses
      • Level 2 Award in Food Allergen Awareness
      • Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management
    • Food Labelling Courses
    • Health & Safety Courses
      • Level 1 in Health & Safety
      • Level 2 in Health & Safety
      • Level 3 in Health and Safety
      • Level 2 in Risk Assessment
    • Train the Trainer Courses
      • Level 3 in EAT – Education And Training
      • Level 3 Award in Delivering Training
    • Fire Safety Courses
      • Level 1 In Fire Safety
      • Level 2 In Fire Safety
    • Environmental courses
      • IEMA Environmental Sustainability Skills for the Workforce
      • IEMA Environmental Sustainability for Managers
    • Licensing Courses
      • Level 2 For Personal Licence Holders
    • Training Venues
      • London – Central
      • London – West
      • Hertfordshire
      • Bedfordshire
      • North Bucks
      • South Bucks
      • Essex
  • Software
    • About our software
    • Digital diaries
    • Audit management
    • Incident management
    • Training management
    • Risk management
    • E-learning
  • Get A Quote
  • News
  • Clients
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
    • Join Our Team

News

Suspected norovirus outbreak closes Wahaca

11 Apr 2016

The Mexican restaurant chain, Wahaca, shut nine of its restaurants after more than 300 staff and customers became ill. Although most of the restaurants have now re-opened, the company is working with Public Health England to find the source of the outbreak.

Thomasina Meirs (Founder and 2015 MasterChef Winner) said in a statement “Last week a number of our staff and customers were struck down by what is suspected to be the winter vomiting bug, norovirus”.

For more information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37857215

SOME FACTS ABOUT NOROVIRUS

  •  Norovirus is the commonest cause of sickness and diarrhoea in the UK.
  •  Although most cases involve person to person spread, it can be food borne.
  •  Norovirus should be suspected if:
    • The duration of the illness is between 12-60 hours
    • Symptoms include vomiting (usually projectile) and some diarrhoea.
  • Other symptoms can be nausea, abdominal pains, fever, headache and aches and pains.
  • It has a 45% attack rate and only 10-100 viral particles are needed to cause illness therefore it is very infectious.
  • The onset time of symptoms is 10-50 hours (usually 24-48 hours)
  • Norovirus particles need to be ingested and this can occur in several ways:
    • Air-borne vomit or diarrhoea particles e.g. If someone is sick other people coming into the room can breathe these in.
    • Contact surfaces e.g. If someone touches a contaminated surface and then eats or prepares food for someone else (contaminated fingers can transfer norovirus to up to seven clean surfaces)
    • Contaminated foods e.g. shellfish harvested from sewage contaminated waters (75% of UK oysters are believed to contain norovirus)
    • Infected staff e.g. returning to work too soon after being ill or not realising they are ill (5% of sufferers do not have symptoms)
    • Contaminated water e.g. swallowing swimming pool water
  • Sufferers will continue to shed viral particles in high numbers for 48 hours after they no longer have symptoms and at small numbers thereafter.
  • Norovirus is easily destroyed by cooking and not destroyed by freezing.

TIPS TO PREVENT AN OUTBREAK

Staff illness 

  •  Remind staff of the importance of reporting any illness they have or have had in the last three days to their manager.
  • Any staff with symptoms must be sent home and advised to drink plenty of water and if necessary take paracetamol for any pain.
  • Establish which areas they have been in and disinfect any surfaces they may have touched.
  • Establish if they have vomited or used the toilet on the premises. If so, isolate the area until all surfaces have been disinfected and the area ventilated for at least 4 hours.
  • Discard any foods that they may have handled.
  • They can return to work when they have been symptom-free for 48 hours. If they have taken anti-diarrhoeal drugs (e.g. Imodium) this must also be at least 48 hours after taking the last dose.

Customer or staff vomiting (or worse!) accidents

  •  Remove the ill person to a more suitable area e.g. staff facilities, customer toilets. Call a First Aider or team member to take care of the person.
  • Isolate the area immediately. If the incident occurred front of house or in the kitchen, this may require the closure of the operation. Re-seat customers if necessary.
  • Open external doors and windows to improve air circulation
  • Use non-catering personnel to clean up the spillage and remove any contaminated food and crockery. Catering staff members should not clean up or touch any contaminated items.
  • Staff members who may have been contaminated should remove their protective clothing, bag up and label as ‘hazardous’. They should wash their hands and arms thoroughly.
  • Remove and discard any unopened food that may have been contaminated. Any bottled or canned foods must be dipped in a sanitising solution.
  • Crockery, equipment and cutlery must be sanitized away from the kitchen by non-catering team members and may be returned after sanitizing to be put through the dishwasher.
  • Keep the area out of use until it has been disinfected using a suitable bleach based disinfectant on cleansable surfaces. Other liquid disinfectants and/or steam cleaning should be considered on soft furnishings and carpets. In some cases, destroying the furniture may be the best way to eliminate germs such as norovirus.
  • Dispose of any protective clothing and cloths that have been used for wiping up – put in a bin sack and put outside. Do not put in the kitchen bin.

Food sources

  •  Norovirus spread from infected food handlers on to any food can cause illness as it does not grow in the food but merely uses it as a vehicle. Therefore, any food could be contaminated so it is essential that you use reputable suppliers.
  • There have been outbreaks associated with oysters and mussels that have been harvested from sewage contaminated waters.
  • There are also increasing numbers of outbreaks associated with fresh and frozen ready to eat produce that have been grown in contaminated land or washed with contaminated water.

Safer Food Scores Complete Compliance Contracts include assisting clients with food poisoning allegations and managing outbreaks.

Please contact hello@saferfoodscores.co.uk for more information.

 

Any guidance given in our articles is not official and Safer Food Scores can take no responsibility if the information is used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. However, please do get in touch if you are interested in our support services and would like to benefit from official guidance relating to your particular circumstances, email [javascript protected email address]

BlogKeep up to date

  • Our Newsletter
  • Health and Safety
  • Food Safety
  • Hospitality Industry
  • Food Standards Agency

BlogCategories

  • Accidents
  • Coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Elearning
  • Enforcement
  • Fire safety
  • First aid
  • Food allergies
  • Food hygiene ratings
  • Food labelling
  • Food poisoning
  • Food safety
  • Food supplier assurance
  • HACCP
  • Health & safety
  • Healthy eating
  • Ill health
  • Nutrition
  • Pest control
  • Prosecutions
  • Safer Assured news
  • Safer Food Scores news
  • Training
  • Uncategorised

BlogTags

acrylamide allergen labelling asbestos BRC approval calorie labelling campylobacter COSHH COVID-19 e-learning E.coli Eggs EHO inspections enforcement fish food adulteration food fraud food handlers food labelling food safety food safety culture free offers FSA game based training health and safety hepatitis A HSE industry guides Listeria NHS Test and Trace norovirus outbreaks oysters poultry PPE primary authority rare burgers Safer Assured salmonella SALSA accreditation Sentencing guidelines shellfish software stress sushi working at height

BlogArchive

Sign up to
our newsletter

Safer Food Scores
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Clients
  • Get A Quote
  • Why Choose Us
  • News
  • Directions
  • GDPR Compliant Privacy Policy
Consultancy
  • Health & Safety Consultancy
  • Food Hygiene Consultancy
  • Food Date Labels
  • Software
  • FSMS & HACCP
  • Food Hygiene Ratings
  • Primary Authority Partnerships
  • Start Up Restaurant Advice
Training
  • About Training
  • Online courses
  • Course Dates & Prices
  • Food Hygiene Certificate
  • Health & Safety Courses
  • Food Allergens & Labelling Courses
  • Environmental Sustainability
  • Fire Safety Courses
  • Licensing Courses
Contact us
01442 877322 hello@saferfoodscores.co.uk
Safer Food Scores Ltd
Berkhamsted House,
121 High Street
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
HP4 2DJ
© 2022 Safer Food Scores
  • Contact
  • GDPR Compliant Privacy Policy
Website By FL1 Digital