Food safety

The following advice may seem pernickety to the average student. However, an estimated 4.5 million people in the UK suffer from food related illnesses - that’s one in every 10.

While it is true that the young are more resistant to harmful germs, they are not immune - especially in student kitchens, which can often resemble war zones.

Germs

Germs are invisible except under a powerful microscope. These microbes can be grouped according to their different structures, the two most prevalent being viruses and bacteria. Not all bacteria are harmful - indeed many are essential for life. The bacteria, viruses and other microbes that cause illness are commonly known as germs.

Germs found in food can lead to food poisoning, which in some cases has resulted in fatalities (although it should be stressed that this is very rare). These germs are very tricky to detect since they do not usually affect the taste, appearance or smell of food.

The most serious types of food poisoning are due to bacteria. Bacteria multiply fast and thrive on moisture, food, warmth and time. In the right conditions, one bacterium can multiply to more than 4 million in just 8 hours.

They multiply best between five and 63oC but are killed at temperatures of 70oC. At very low temperatures some bacteria will die, but many survive and can start to multiply again read more