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• Food Hygiene Rating Improvements Dr Lisa Ackerley Finds that with Food Hygiene Ratings, Hard Work Pays off! We are...

• Mandatory display of Food Hygiene Ratings in Wales With Wales bringing in a new law to ensure the display of food hygiene ratings,...

• Food Safety Training? Sorry I have no time for that! Food Safety training is essential to maintaining your businesses standards and reputation. So why is...

• Festival goers at risk from mobile food vendors… As festival season approaches, we look at the potential risks to festival attendees health from...

• CIEH 4th Annual Food Safety Conference Dr Lisa Ackerley announced as part of the speaking panel at the CIEH 4th Annual...

• Sous vide – the hip way to cook! Sous vide is the latest trend in haute cuisine. But is it safe? The Food...

• Audit reports always telling you the same thing? Food Hygiene Audits – Going Nowhere? This was exactly the problem one of our new...

• 2014 Food Labelling Legislation The EU will be introducing new legislation in 2014 on food labelling. We look at...

• Horsemeat Timeline                 Click here for full size graphic Little...

• Latest Advice on Horsemeat in the Food Chain We are giving you this update to advise on the current situation on the horsemeat...

• Horsemeat Update: What the law says With further media attention to the horsemeat scandal, and Findus now finding 100% horsemeat in...

• Cadbury sign Primary Authority Agreement We are sure that everyone remembers the Cadbury food poisoning cases in 2006 which resulted...

• Recall of peanut butter and peanut-based products The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is warning consumers not to eat certain peanut butter and...

• Suitable disinfectants and sanitisers for food businesses The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) E.coli 0157: Control of Cross-contamination guidance for enforcement officers specifies...

• Reminder to food handlers with food poisoning symptoms In light of the recent outbreak of E.coli 0157 in Northern Ireland, the Food Standards...

• CIEH Premium Centre Hygiene Audit Systems are delighted to announce that they have been awarded Premium Centre status...

• Real men wash their hands Hands are dirty, this is a fact and it doesn’t matter whether you are male...

• PRODUCT OF THE MONTH: TDI’s Is your dishwasher operating at safe temperatures?   For the requirements of general dishwashing the...

• Dr Lisa on BBC Watchdog On 12th September I appeared on BBC1 Watchdog to comment on the importance of thorough...

• Food Information Regulation (FIR) The new Food Information Regulation (FIR), which combines rules on general food and nutrition labelling...

• Norovirus Present in up to Three-Quarters of British Oysters Recent research published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), found that more than three-quarters of...

• Professor Ackerley: Presentation to Hygiene Council, Cape Town Dr Ackerley attended the seventh meeting of the Hygiene Council in Cape Town during January...

• The Unwanted Christmas Gift – Norovirus! With the Festive Season soon to be upon us, Christmas parties, family get togethers and...

• Leeks and Potatoes – Handle with care! We were told that we must not wash our chickens in the sink as it...

• A year in the life of E. coli Escherichia coli has been in the news for most of this year, most notably with...

• DR LISA ACKERLEY WINS “MOST SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION” AWARD Dr Lisa Ackerley MD of Hygiene Audit Systems and specialist food safety adviser to the...

• Hotel fined after Campylobacter prosecution A hotel venue was recently been fined £4,000 after a guest suffered kidney failure as...

• Gas Safety in Commercial Premises The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 places duties on employers and self-employed to...

• Why are Sprouting Beans such a Problem for Food Safety? Following further cases of E. coli in France, the Food Standards Agency has revised its...

• New research produced on use of Allergy Labels by people with nut allergies New research has been recently published by the Food Standards Agency on how people with...

• E. coli Outbreak It has now emerged that the deadly German E coli outbreak is thought to have...

• Man dies after drinking dishwasher fluid In the past couple of weeks East Sussex County Council have been prosecuted by the...

• Food Safety and Radiation from Japan As a result of the increasing concern surrounding the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, Japan,...

• Listeria – the ‘deli bug’ Last month Dairy Crest recalled one batch of Frijj Thick and Fresh Strawberry Milkshake due...

• Thermal disinfection – hot or not? The recent Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines on practices to reduce to  the verotoxigenic  strain...

• Registered Health & Safety Consultant One of the recommendations of the report by Lord Young of Graffham “Common Sense Common...

• Campylobacter – the hidden danger in the kitchen Most people would be able to name Salmonella as a cause of food poisoning, but...

• First Prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 A Gloucestershire firm was fined £385,000 in February 2011 for Corporate Manslaughter. Gloucestershire based Cotswold...

• What goes on behind closed doors? FOOD SAFETY WEEK 2011 This year’s Food Safety week runs from 6th-12th June and will...

• Poor Food Hygiene results in Prison Sentance Mr Ramazan Aslan, the former food business operator of Llay Fish Bar in North Wales...

• German contaminated egg scare comes to the UK The New Year started with a food scare concerning dioxin contamination of egg products imported...

• UK Food Standards Agency and industry set new target to tackle Campylobacter in poultry Last month we reported on the large percentage of Campylobacter outbreaks associated or linked with...

• Allergy Awareness – how aware are you? The tragic death of 18 year old Emma Egerton last week highlighted the importance of...

• Brits not fased by food safety risks – fact or fiction? A new survey shows that the British take a more measured approach to possible food...

• Undercooked chicken liver causing Campylobacter food poisoning The Health Protection Agency has recently published their report regarding the causes of outbreaks of Campylobacter food...

• The Young Report This month saw the release of the long awaited Lord Young’s review on health and...

• Salmonella outbreak linked to raw bean sprouts An investigation by the Health Protection Agency has identified 106 cases of Salmonella Bareilly in England,...

• Dishwashers – Is yours safe? The dishwasher must be the bane of the inspector’s life.  Even the most spotless kitchen...

• Diners ‘Unkowingly Eating Halal’ You may have recently seen the news articles on use of halal meat without customer’s...

• Hygiene Audit Systems Team Building – Padstow 2010 The team at Hygiene Audit Systems are recently back from a team building trip in...

• Salsa and guacamole common cause of food poisoning Contaminated salsa and guacamole dips are common causes of food poisoning in restaurants, and food...

• To wash or not to wash chicken? People who wash whole chickens before cooking them are increasing the risk of food poisoning...

• Restaurant owner given suspended jail sentence and banned from food business A Birmingham restaurant owner has been given a suspended jail sentence and banned from running...

• E-audits – The Next Step Audits and inspection are essential if businesses want to know about and control standards. The...

• E.coli O157 linked to a petting farm in Surrey As of today (24th  September 2009 the number of people affected by the O157 strain...

• Online training: relevant or not? Only ten years ago people were predicting that by now, computer-based training would have made...

• Eat with their feet? Attitudes to Scores on the Doors Will scores affect customers? What do businesses think? The scores on the doors scheme has...

• Do the Germans know best when it comes to salad washing? As well as the love of bratwurst Germans are known for their fermented vegetables like...

• Managing your food supply – do you have due diligence? A customer buys a wrapped sandwich from your restaurant; they bite in and break a...

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Latest Blog Posts

• Hotel Balcony Tragedy Abroad Following the tragic death of a young woman who fell from a hotel balcony in...

• Hand washing – isn’t it boring? Hand washing appears to be on the decline, with studies showing that almost 40% of...

• HSE reverse their decision on RIDDOR Following recent proposed changes to RIDDOR, the HSE has now reversed it's decisions after strong...

• Is beef better for you than salad? Is your red meat safer than its side salad? We look at the hidden killer...

• Behavioural Change, the Perpetual Challenge in Food Hygiene Training How do we get behavioural change? Dr Lisa Ackerley discusses the challenges to get people...

• HSE clamps down on the ‘Health and Safety’ excuse In the wake of a number of cases where 'Health and Safety' has been used...

• Due diligence – when food safety training didn’t help Training is an essential component in a due-diligence defence - make sure it doesn't let...

• What’s it like to do a hotel inspection on TV? Dr Lisa Ackerley Talks about carrying out hotel inspections with a TV camera. A number of...

• There’s no ‘I’ in Team When I started Hygiene Audit Systems 25 years ago, we were a partnership of just...

• Gloves in kitchens – that old conundrum! Last night on BBC1 Holiday Hit Squad, I was on screen inspecting a kitchen with...

• Guest Blog – Beyond Horsemeat Dr Lisa Ackerley invites Hazel Gowland to Comment on the Horsemeat Scandal It’s not just...

• IID2 Study At the FSA Research Foodborne Viruses Conference where I presented a paper, Professor Sarah O’Brien...

• Help – I’m going on a family holiday! How can I keep safe? Dr Lisa Ackerley gives some advice for a safe family holiday. You don’t want to...

• Are you washing up your food contact items in a bacterial soup? Dr Lisa Ackerley discusses whether washing up is effective – even using a dishwasher. Temperature is...

• What can Hoteliers do to avoid being on TV? Dr Lisa Ackerley discusses what hoteliers can do to avoid becoming a target for TV shows...

• Eating at your desk? How hygienic is it? Eating at your desk – we all do it don’t we? We know you shouldn’t eat...

• Norovirus epidemic – should you be concerned? Norovirus is on my mind as I presented a paper and participated in discussions at...

• Fire in Nightclubs – why do we see this tragedy too often? Fire in Nightclubs People regularly say to me how fire prevention can be ‘over the...

• Horsemeat found in Supermarket burgers In light of recent revelations of horsemeat in burgers sold in a number of UK...

• RIDDOR may become RIDOR The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently consulted on changes to the Reporting of...

• All I want for Christmas… Dr Lisa’s Christmas Present List What do I give someone who has everything for Christmas?...

• Should customers be allowed to choose rare liver, burgers or steak tartare? Dr Lisa Ackerley discusses whether potentially dangerous foods such as rare liver should be on the...

• Campylobacter and Lambs Liver Campylobacter in Undercooked Livers Last December I wrote a blog on the dangers of undercooked...

• A Birthday Message from Dr Lisa I am writing this newsletter in the month when Hygiene Audit Systems celebrates its 25th...

• Mechanically Tenderised beef cuts should not be served rare? Dr Lisa Ackerley thinks we should treat Mechanically Tenderised Meats in the same way as Burgers...

• Is It Safe To Eat Pink Duck? We are often asked if it is safe to eat pink duck. The primary indicator...

• Supply Chain Controls Following the recent case of a severe pest infestation and contaminated food found at a...

• Professor Ackerley: Presentation to Hygiene Council, Cape Town, January 2012 Dr Ackerley attended the seventh meeting of the Hygiene Council in Cape Town, where she...

• New Home Freezing Guidelines for Households to help Reduce Waste Sainsbury’s has announced that they will advise customers to freeze food at any point up...

• Lunch Box Amnesty Study Last year I teamed up with a Public health nutritionist, Robert Hobson, to work on...

• Campylobacter and Chicken Liver Despite the advice from the Food Standards Agency that liver needs to be cooked thoroughly...

• Global Hand Washing Day 15th October Yesterday a producer from BBC Three Counties Radio came to the office having dismantled a...

• “A peck of dirt does no harm” – fact or fiction? The Health Protection Agency today revealed that unwashed leeks and potatoes may have been the cause...

• “Use-by”, “Best-before”, “Display until”, “Sell-by” – will new guidance end the confusion? New Defra guidelines are asking food businesses to stop using ‘sell by’ or ‘display until’...

• How safe is your lunchbox? I am excited to be working with the team at Innovate Services on a project...

• Food Standards Agency revises guidance on Sprouting Seeds Following the recent outbreaks of E. coli O104: H4 in Germany and France the Food Standards...

• Summer Health: E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter…don’t let them spoil your festival fun this year. This week the Metro featured an article highlighting potential health risks associated with the festival...

• Is a bit of dirt good for you? Is a bit of dirt good for you? Are we too clean? Are we creating...

• Dettol’s Mission for Health Yesterday I was involved in a number of Radio interviews about Dettol’s Mission for Health with...

• Guidance on avoiding cross-contamination with E. coli O157 Yesterday, the FSA issued guidance to clarify the steps that food businesses need to take...

• Chicken Packaging Survey A recent survey by Trading Standards Officers at Birmingham City Council has caught my attention....

• BBC1′s “Save My Holiday” Today I appeared as the resident hygiene expert in the first of 15 programmes for...

• Oyster Warning The Food Standards Agency is today reminding people about the possible risks from getting the...

• Tour operators liable for holiday bug damages In June and September 2003, a number of British holidaymakers contracted either Salmonella or Cryptosporidium during...

• Llay E.coli outbreak man admits offences In July 2009, four people including a three-year-old girl became ill with E.coli after buying...

• Dioxin Update It appears that only two manufacturers in the UK were affected by the liquid egg...

• Dioxins in Eggs Today we have been busy helping clients with concerns about the dioxin contamination issue with...

• Improving Food Hygiene On 2nd December, against the background that over one million people a year in the...

• SOFHT Luncheon and Awards Ceremony I have been wining and dining in lovely places in the last two weeks –...

• RSPH Food Safety Challenges Conference Yesterday I was honoured to chair the RSPH Food Safety Challenges conference at Portland Place,...

• Challenges from food safety issues I am currently preparing for the Food Safety Conference to be hosted by the RSPH...

• Global Handwashing Day Today is Global Handwashing Day!  Initiated by the ‘Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap’, and endorsed...

• Swimming Pool Hygiene When travelling abroad for Secret Tourist and other BBC programmes I have come across swimming...

• Due Diligence Health Checks I always think of September as being the start of the year (must be a...

• Tragic Drowning in Swimming Pool in Wales Having spent a fair amount of time recently involved in swimming pool safety at various...

• New CPD Access Goes Live!!! This week I have been at the CIEH ‘Best of the Best’ conference in Telford...

• Eggs hit the headlines in the USA A recent large outbreak of Salmonella enteritidis in the USA has led to the recall...

• EHPs – a different way of training Years ago I was a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health at Thames Polytechnic (now University...

• Holiday Buffets!!!! I am often asked what to avoid on holiday buffets; after some of the test...

• Well I am off on a real holiday! Well I am off on a real holiday! No hidden cameras, no talking into handbags,...

• BBC1 Secret Tourist: “What do you eat when you are abroad?” Since episodes of the BBC1 programme Secret Tourist have been broadcast, I keep getting asked...

• Campylobacter and Chicken Liver Parfait or Pate We have been advising customers for some time about the need to cook chicken liver...

• E.coli outbreak at petting farm in Surrey E.coli continues to be in the news as victims of an E.coli outbreak at a...

• Bags for Life – a new vector of food poisoning? We are all being encouraged to use “bags for life” – a strong, re-usable plastic...

• Food & Drink Expo 2010, 21 – 24 March 2010, NEC, Birmingham, UK I am giving a free talk at Food and Drink Expo 2010 at the NEC:...

• Food & Drink Expo 2010, 21 – 24 March 2010, NEC, Birmingham, UK I am giving a free talk at Food and Drink Expo 2010 at the NEC:...

• Egg Allergy A caterer who supplied a dessert containing eggs at a Sikh wedding must pay £415,000...

• Merry Christmas and Happy New Year As this is the last blog entry before Christmas, I thought I would share this...

• Watch Dr Ackerley on BBC1 Watchdog 8pm Thurs 5th November On Thurs 24th September Dr Lisa Ackerley appeared on BBC1 Watchdog 8pm. The feature was on infections acquired by British tourists whilst...

• Campylobacter is still a big problem in raw chicken The Food Standards Agency has published the findings of a new survey testing for campylobacter...

• E.coli O157 linked to a petting farm in Surrey I’m sure you are all aware of the recent O157 strain of the illness connected...

• Jamaica In July I visited the beautiful island of Jamaica to present papers at the 4th...

• Dr Lisa Ackerley to appear on BBC1 Watchdog 8pm 24th September On thurs 24th September  BBC1 Watchdog 8pm will include a feature on infections acquired by British tourists in Turkey....

• Best Before and Use by Dates I have just been interviewed on BBC Three Counties Radio by Jonathan Vernon-Smith on his...

• More Swine Flu – the Real Experience! I was asked recently to give some tips for mothers about what to do if...

• Food safety is my business and if I can help I will! Rhodri Morgan, Welsh first minister is quoted to have said EHPs need “a sixth sense...

• Swine Flu A client recently asked when their employee who had swine flu should be allowed to...

• Salad washing This week we heard about a catering company who ran into trouble after a member...

• Global Hygiene Study The results of the Global Hygiene Study, (conducted by Hygiene Audit Systems with Tonic Life...

• ‘Professor’ Ackerley represents the UK on E.coli and food allergy ‘Professor’ Ackerley represents the UK on E.coli and food allergy “I am really honoured to...

• The Food Standards Agency has recently published another important document: ‘Annual report of Incidents 2008’ The Food Standards Agency has recently published another important document: ‘Annual report of Incidents 2008’....

• The Food Standards Agency has just published an important document The Food Standards Agency has just published an important document, ‘Food Handlers: Fitness to Work...

• Impending Flu Epidemic Swine flu is a respiratory disease, caused by influenza type A which infects pigs. There...

• The Public Inquiry into the outbreak of E.coli O157 in South Wales The Public Inquiry into the September 2005 Outbreak of E.coli O157 in South Wales has...

• Dishcloth Saviour! Dr Lisa Ackerley has been dubbed the ‘Superhero of the Sink’ by Radio 2 DJ...

• Influenza A(H1N1) (Swine ‘flu) Update As I write today there has been a case in Germany of transmission from an...

• Duck – Is it safe to eat it pink? With the recent upsurge in the popularity of serving duck, I have been asked several...

• Is it safe to eat pork and pork products? Is it safe to eat pork and pork products? Last weekend the Food Standards Agency advised...

• Enjoy Bug Free Brussels and Pesticide Free Parsnips this Christmas! Enjoy Bug Free Brussels and Pesticide Free Parsnips this Christmas! With Christmas festivities just around...

• Year 5 Science Class Dr Lisa Ackerley Runs a Year 5 Science Class to Demonstrate how Bacteria can Spread...

• Global Home Hygiene Study Earlier this year we were commissioned by the Hygiene Council to undertake a first-of-its-kind study,...

• Rogue Restaurants: BBC1 Series I appeared as the food safety expert on the recent BBC 1 series, keeping Matt...

• Scores on the Doors response to the Food Standards Agency The final date for submitting responses to the Scores on the Doors consultation has now...

• Dr.Lisa Ackerley, Managing Director, Hygiene Audit Systems I’d like to use this blog to keep you updated on current food hygiene and...

• Welcome to Hygiene Audit Systems Just a few words about us Hygiene Audit Systems is an innovative consultancy specialising in food...

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