Food poisoning

Certain infectious diseases may require investigating to try and establish the possible cause and try to prevent the spread of illness within the community.

Food poisoning can be caused by different sorts of bacteria (germs) which can grow rapidly and reach dangerous levels within hours in food that is warm. Food poisoning can also occur when food becomes contaminated, i.e. when raw meat juices drip onto salad at the bottom of refrigerator. It is important to maintain good food hygiene standards in industry and the home to prevent food borne illness.

Incubation times

The time taken between eating the food and becoming ill can vary depending on the organism causing the illness and in some cases can be up to 10 -15 days after eating the food. The last meal you ate may not be the cause of your illness.

What should I do if I suspect I have food poisoning?

It is recommended that you contact your GP and submit a stool sample. This should be sent to a laboratory and will identify if you are suffering from a food related illness. Food poisoning is a notifiable illness, and therefore the local Health Protection Agency (HPA) will be informed. We liaise closely with the HPA and it is likely that someone will contact you to firstly offer you advice and secondly to see if it is possible to identify what made you ill.

Information about food poisoning

The websites below have more detailed information about different types of organisms which can cause food poisoning.