Special food advice for Bristol elderly
Older people using the city council’s day services are getting special advice and support to help them avoid food poisoning at home.
The city council’s Food Safety team will visit older people at two day centres and provide them with useful advice, information leaflets and easy-to-read fridge thermometers.
Nick Baskerville, Food Safety Officer, said: “Working with the council’s Health and Social Care services means we can reach some of the city’s most vulnerable older people and give them face-to-face advice. We’ve also briefed social care colleagues who visit people’s homes and asked them to pass on the food safety message:
- Don’t eat food past its “use by date”
- Make sure your fridge’s temperature is between 0º and 5º degrees
- Follow storage instructions on food labels
Evidence from the Food Standards Agency shows that older people are less likely to go by food products’ ‘use-by’ dates. This puts them at a higher risk of listeria food poisoning.
There has been a recent rise in listeria cases across the country – particularly among the over-60s. Listeria is a serious illness and potentially deadly for high risk groups.
