28/01/09
Royal Marines help north Wales catering students beat the bugs in the kitchen
The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Chef Display Team today (Tuesday, January 27th) lent their support to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Norovirus awareness campaign by dishing up a feast of food hygiene tips to Bangor college students.
The Team gave out sound advice on safe food preparation to Coleg Menai’s catering department, including reminding them how to wash their hands properly before handling food, in a bid to keep North Wales safe from Norovirus, the guest nobody wants at their dinner table.
Norovirus, also known as the ‘winter vomiting disease’, is a highly infectious stomach bug, affecting between 600,000 and one million people in the UK every year. It spreads in environments where large numbers of people congregate and can be caught through contact with an infected person, by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, or through contaminated food and drink.
The Team also demonstrated to the group of students how to prepare tasty and nutritious dishes fit for Marine and Naval officers – or anyone else with a healthy appetite. Advice on how to secure a rewarding career in catering for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines was also dished out.
Tracey Gauci, the Welsh Assembly Government’s Nursing Officer for Health Protection, said:
“One of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of Norovirus – as well as a range of other infections – is to wash your hands properly after going to the toilet.
“This also applies to food preparation. People may not always wash their hands before handling food or properly clean the area where they are cooking or the utensils they are using. However these measures are vital in preventing Norovirus.”
Mike Beaton of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Chef Display Team said:
“We are only too pleased to be able to support this important health campaign. Even though Norovirus is a vicious bug that can spread really quickly, it can be easily prevented by taking the necessary steps to ensure food is prepared hygienically.
“My main advice is to get the freshest ingredients you can, prepare food on clean surfaces and ensure you wash your hands thoroughly both before and during the whole process. After all, the last thing you want to serve up is Norovirus.”
The main symptoms of Norovirus are sudden nausea, followed by vomiting and diarrhoea. People who contract it are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least 48 hours after symptoms have cleared, in order to avoid passing the virus on. Those infected should especially avoid visiting places where there are vulnerable individuals, such as hospitals, care homes and nursing homes.
For more information about Norovirus visit www.wales.gov.uk/health and click on the Norovirus page, or contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
