Food poisoning is caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or their toxins. Common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. For most healthy adults it passes within a few days — for elderly people, pregnant women, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system, it can be far more serious.
The main causes
A handful of bacteria and one virus account for most UK food poisoning cases. Knowing where each one comes from is the first step to controlling it.
Campylobacter
The most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, found in raw poultry. Never wash raw chicken — it sprays bacteria across the sink and surrounding surfaces. Cook thoroughly and use separate boards.
Salmonella
Raw poultry, eggs and raw meat. Cook to a core temperature of 75°C. Never serve runny eggs to vulnerable groups unless using British Lion (or equivalent assured) eggs.
E. coli
Raw or undercooked beef, especially mince, and contaminated water. Never serve pink mince — burgers and meatballs must be cooked all the way through.
Listeria
Soft cheese, pâté, smoked fish and pre-packed salads. A particular risk for pregnant customers, where it can cause miscarriage — avoid these foods for the highest-risk groups.
Norovirus
Highly contagious, spreading person-to-person and via contaminated food or surfaces. Staff must stay off work for 48 hours after their last symptom.
Staphylococcus aureus
Carried on human skin, nose and throat, transferred by bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food. Cover cuts with a blue plaster and use gloves or utensils for ready-to-eat food.
The temperature danger zone
- Keep cold food at 5°C or below (best practice) — 8°C is the legal maximum in England, Wales & NI.
- Keep hot food above 63°C.
- Never leave food in the danger zone for more than 2 hours.
- Never use hot food to warm up cold food.
High-risk foods
These foods need the most careful temperature control and handling — a mistake with any of them is more likely to cause serious illness.
Prevention: the 4 Cs
Most food poisoning risk in a kitchen comes down to four things, done consistently — the basis of the Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) safe methods.
Cooking
Cook high-risk food thoroughly and check core temperatures with a probe thermometer rather than judging by colour or juices.
Chilling
Cool cooked food quickly — within 90 minutes — then refrigerate promptly. Never leave food at room temperature to cool.
Cleaning
Wash hands after every raw food task, toilet visit and break. Clean and sanitise surfaces regularly, and use safe water and ice.
Cross-contamination
Keep raw and ready-to-eat food separate at all times — separate boards, separate storage, raw always stored below ready-to-eat.
Prevention is the record, not just the habit
Knowing the 4 Cs is one thing — showing an inspector they happen every day is another. That means core temperatures logged at the probe, fridges checked on a schedule, and cleaning signed off as it’s done, sitting together as part of a food safety management system rather than living in memory or a clipboard that can go missing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK?
Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK, found mainly in raw poultry. It is destroyed by thorough cooking, but raw chicken should never be washed — that just sprays bacteria across the sink and surrounding surfaces.
What is the temperature danger zone for food?
Bacteria multiply fastest between roughly 8°C and 63°C, so this is treated as the danger zone. The legal maximum for chilled food is 8°C in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but best practice — and the target most kitchens work to — is 5°C or below, which is why kitchens are often taught a 5°C–63°C range. In Scotland the law sets no specific number, just that chilled food must be kept refrigerated, so the 5°C target still applies as best practice. Food should never sit in the danger zone for more than two hours.
How long does food poisoning usually last?
For most healthy adults, food poisoning passes within a few days. It can be more serious, and last longer, for elderly people, pregnant women, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system — which is why high-risk foods need extra care when serving those groups.
What are the 4 Cs of food safety?
Cooking, Chilling, Cleaning and avoiding Cross-contamination. Get all four right consistently and most food poisoning risk in a kitchen is controlled — it is the basis of the Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) safe methods.
Turn the 4 Cs into a daily record
HospoPilot logs cooking and fridge temperatures, cleaning and closing checks as your team works — timestamped and inspection-ready, with nothing relying on memory.
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Related: Food safety management software guide · Safe cooking temperatures · Restaurant temperature log · Kitchen cleaning schedule
Last reviewed September 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.