The food team have a statutory duty in terms of the Public Health Act 2008, to co-operate with the NHS, particularly the Health Protection Team and the Consultant in Public Health Medicine to investigate and prevent the spread of communicable diseases including food poisoning.
Food poisoning is an unpleasant illness caused by the consumption of food or drink, including water, which has been contaminated by bacteria, viruses or chemicals including naturally occurring toxins in plants such as green potatoes.
Symptoms
The symptoms of food poisoning can include:
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Nausea
Following consumption of contaminated food or drink the onset of symptoms may vary from a few hours to a few days and in most cases will not be from the last meal you consumed.
Reporting
In the case of alleged illness, we advise that anyone with food poisoning symptoms submits a stool sample to their GP in order to determine the nature of the illness. Please request that any sample is tested for bacteriology and virology. In the event that you are confirmed as having an infectious disease we will be notified via the Health Protection Team at NHS Tayside.
In the meantime you may wish to consider and record any information which may be relevant to your illness, and which may assist us if further investigation is required. The type of information which could be helpful includes where, when and what you have eaten over the 14 day period prior to becoming unwell, details of any outdoor activities you have taken part in, any foreign travel, and any contact with animals. You do not need to submit this information to us at this time but it will be collected from you if your test results indicate food poisoning.
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