Food poisoning cases at mass catering events in Cyprus remain rare despite the recent serious incident at a wedding reception in Limassol, senior state chemist Christos Kourtis said.
Kourtis, head of the Food Microbiology Laboratory at the State General Laboratory, told philenews that hundreds of receptions are held every year, while poisoning incidents are counted “on the fingers of one hand”.
He said the latest Limassol case was serious, with around 80 people affected. However, he said the public should not be alarmed when the number of events and guests throughout the year is taken into account.
Kourtis said Cyprus also holds receptions on a scale not seen in many other countries, particularly when population size is considered.
He said complaints about suspected food poisoning are often difficult to connect to a specific event because the food involved may no longer be available by the time the complaint is made.
When several days pass before a complaint is filed, samples are usually taken from the next event at the same venue. By then, however, the ingredients used may be completely different from those used at the event suspected of causing the illness.
That is one of the main reasons why the State General Laboratory cannot always link food from a business named in a complaint to a poisoning incident or to the patients involved, he said.
In the Limassol case, Kourtis said authorities were fortunate because food used at the event was found.
He said the number of incidents is not high enough to suggest Cyprus has a food safety problem or a wider problem with mass catering.
Cases involving five to 10 people at an event may number fewer than five a year, he said.
Kourtis said sample checks are also carried out in the market, beyond complaints and reports of poisoning. Unsuitable foods are found during those checks, but the situation is not worrying, he said.
How to reduce food poisoning risks at home
Kourtis said consumers can reduce risks by picking up refrigerated and frozen foods last when shopping and keeping transport time to a minimum. He recommended using a cooler box and placing such foods at the correct temperature as soon as they arrive home.
Perishable and cooked foods should not be left for long periods at temperatures between 5C and 60C, because microorganisms can multiply in those conditions.
Pregnant women, elderly people and immunosuppressed people are advised to avoid smoked fish and soft cheeses, as these foods carry a high risk of Listeria monocytogenes. The bacterium can cause miscarriage and other illnesses in those groups.
For food preparation, Kourtis said work surfaces should be kept clean with soap and free of unrelated items, while pets should be kept away.
Separate clean cutting boards should be used for raw meat or fish and for ready-to-eat foods such as washed vegetables.
Cutlery or utensils used for raw food or unwashed vegetables should never be used to handle cooked food or salad.
Towels, sponges, oven gloves and aprons should be washed or changed often.
Hands should be washed, and gloves changed where used, before cooking, after handling raw meat or fish, after touching the rubbish bin, after using the toilet and after contact with pets.
Read more: