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Take Simple Steps to Avoid Food Poisoning To mark the start of Food Safety Week, Tamworth Borough Council is reminding people in Tamworth about the importance of good food hygiene in the home. This is particularly important during the summer months, when levels of food poisoning soar. There are around 120,000 extra cases of illness recorded across the UK when the weather is warmest. Every Year around 90 people in Tamworth get ill from food poisoning. We expect to see the number of cases increasing as the weather gets warmer and barbeques and eating outside become more frequent. To help people learn more about this, and the simple things they can do to keep themselves and their families safe, we will be having a food safety display in Ankerside Shopping Centre and the Borough Council reception area where information will be provided. In addition we are proposing to hold food safety talks in primary schools and local mother and toddler groups where information will be given out to take home. People should not worry unnecessarily about food poisoning; there are some simple common sense steps people can take to avoid getting ill. Just storing, handling, and cooking food properly will minimise the risk. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that following simple principles will help people to keep food safe. Proper cooking will kill food bugs. It’s especially important to make sure poultry, pork, burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through. If there’s any pink meat or the juices have any pink
or red in them, germs could be lurking! Check your food is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Avoiding cross-contamination is also extremely important, that is preventing bacteria from spreading between foods and from contaminated surfaces or utensils. Make sure you store raw meat covered at the bottom of the fridge, below and away from ready-to-eat food. Never use the same chopping board for raw meat and ready-toeat foods without washing the board and knife thoroughly first. The FSA also highlights that clean hands in the kitchen are vital in the fight against food poisoning; while food must also be kept at the right temperature. Food that needs to be chilled should be kept in the fridge, and check that it’s running at the right temperature – between 0˚C and 5˚C. Storage above this range can allow bacteria to grow or harmful toxins to form. Also, on a picnic, don’t take food out of the fridge until the last minute and use a cool bag to keep it chilled until ready to eat. For more advice on food safety go to eatwell.gov.uk/keepingfoodsafe
Summer Events in Tamworth Outdoor Events 29 Aug Summer Festival - Castle Grounds 11 & 12 Sept Heritage Open Day - various town centre locations 18 Sept Stars and Stripes - Castle Grounds
Tamworth Assembly Rooms 9-11 Sept Tamworth Beer Festival 14 Sept An Evening of Clairvoyance with TV psychic Tony Stockwell 19 Sept Moonlight Serenade Orchestra UK
B o x O f f ic e: 018 27 7 09 618
Tamworth Castle “Living History” Events Every Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in August. 3,4 &5 August Meet the Civil War Soldiers 10, 11 & 12 August Meet the Victorian Housekeeper and her Servants 17, 18 &19 August Meet the Regency Household (1807) 24, 25 & 26 August Meet Mrs Cooke and her Governess 18 & 25 Sept Even More Haunted Murder Mystery 23 & 30 Oct Ghost Tours 25 - 29 Oct Children’s Halloween Haunted Castle
For more events and information telephone the box office or check the website: www.whatsontamworth.co.uk
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