Service Description: Food poisoning can occur when you eat food containing organisms or harmful substances. Additionally the action of certain bacteria breaking down food in our gut can produce poisons. The Environmental Health department, along with the Health Authority, carries out investigations into suspected or actual food poisoning to control the spread, assist recovery and learn from previous problems. Food hygiene inspections are also carried out to try to prevent outbreaks from occurring.
Also known as:- Food Poisoning
Answer: You should consult your G.P. as soon as possible so he can assess your condition. People often wrongly assume that the last meal eaten was the cause of their illness. In fact the most common form of food poisoning is caused by bacteria which can take between 2 and 10 days to show symptoms. This can make it very difficult to identify the food at fault unless a number of people have similar symptoms after eating food from the same source. It may also not be bacterial food poisoning, but viral-gastroenteritis which has similar symptoms. There are also many cases of food poisoning which originate in the home. A recent Food Standards Agency survey has shown that people are much less likely to complain about food served at a friend’s home than at a commercial premises even when that food is not cooked properly.