The Microbiological Quality of Cooked Rice from Restaurants and Take-Away Premises in the United Kingdom

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 877-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L. NICHOLS ◽  
C. L. LITTLE ◽  
V. MITHANI ◽  
J. de LOUVOIS
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Point Of Sale ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cooked Rice ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Bacillus Spp ◽  
Rice Samples ◽  
The Uk

The microbiological quality of 4,162 samples of cooked rice from restaurants and take-away premises in the United Kingdom was examined, including ready-to-eat rice purchased at point-of-sale and rice that was stored precooked for reheating on demand. The majority of point-of-sale cooked rice samples (1,855 of 1,972; 94%) were of acceptable microbiological quality, but 15 (1%) samples were of unacceptable quality (Bacillus spp. and B. cereus, ≥105 CFU/g; Escherichia coli, ≥104 CFU/g), indicating a potential risk to health. The prevalence of Bacillus spp., B. cereus, and E. coli was significantly greater in precooked stored rice than in point-of-sale cooked rice (P < 0.005 to 0.0005). Bacillus spp. (≥104 CFU/g), B. cereus (≥104 CFU/g), and E. coli (≥102 CFU/g) were present in 7%, 2%, and 9% of precooked stored samples, respectively, compared to 2%, 0.5%, and 1%, respectively in point-of-sale samples. Although final heating at the point of sale reduces the levels of microorganisms present in rice it will not inactivate the B. cereus emetic toxin if present. Rice from Indian premises was of poorer microbiological quality than that from Chinese and other premises. Although most point-of-sale cooked rice samples (94%) were of an acceptable microbiological quality, evidence from this study indicates that the microbiological quality of cooked rice sold from certain outlets in the UK is of concern.

The Microbiological Quality of Ice Used to Cool Drinks and Ready-to-Eat Food from Retail and Catering Premises in the United Kingdom

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
GORDON NICHOLS ◽  
IAIN GILLESPIE ◽  
JOHN de LOUVOIS
Keyword(s):  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
E Coli ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Melt Water ◽  
Aerobic Plate Count ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Evidence

A survey of 4,346 samples of ice from retail and catering premises examined 3,528 samples (81%) used to cool drinks and 144 samples (3%) from food displays. For 674 samples (15%), the origin was not recorded. Most samples of ice used to cool drinks or ready-to-eat food on displays did not contain coliforms, Escherichia coli, or enterococci. Of the ice used to cool drinks, 9% contained coliforms, 1% E. coli, and 1% enterococci in excess of 102 CFU/100 ml, and 11% had an aerobic plate count at 37°C in excess of 103 CFU/ml. The microbiological quality of ice used to cool drinks was poorer when melt water was present in the ice buckets. Ice used in food displays was more contaminated than ice used to cool drinks, with 23% containing coliforms, 5% E. coli, and 8% enterococci at 102 CFU/100 ml or more. Twenty-nine percent of samples had an aerobic plate count greater than 103 CFU/ml. Ice that had been used to cool shellfish was of a lower microbiological quality than samples used to cool ready-to-eat fish, salads, or dairy produce. Samples of ice produced in commercial production facilities were of higher microbiological quality than samples of ice that were not. The microbiological quality of ice was dependent on the type of use, the type of premises, and the type and place of production. Although most ice samples were of acceptable microbiological quality, evidence from this study suggests that the microbiological quality of ice prepared and used at certain premises in the UK is a cause for concern.

scholarly journals The impact of symptoms on quality of life before and after diagnosis of coeliac disease: the results from a Polish population survey and comparison with the results from the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Majsiak ◽  
Magdalena Choina ◽  
Dominik Golicki ◽  
Alastair M. Gray ◽  
Bożena Cukrowska
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Coeliac Disease ◽  
Gluten Free Diet ◽  
Gluten Free ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background Coeliac disease (CD) is characterised by diverse clinical symptoms, which may cause diagnostic problems and reduce the patients’ quality of life. A study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that the mean time between the onset of coeliac symptoms and being diagnosed was above 13 years. This study aimed to analyse the diagnostic process of CD in Poland and evaluate the quality of life of patients before and after CD diagnosis. In addition, results were compared to the results of the original study conducted in the UK. Methods The study included 2500 members of the Polish Coeliac Society. The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire containing questions on socio-demographic factors, clinical aspects and quality of life, using the EQ-5D questionnaire. Questionnaires received from 796 respondents were included in the final analysis. Results The most common symptoms reported by respondents were bloating (75%), abdominal pain (72%), chronic fatigue (63%) and anaemia (58%). Anaemia was the most persistent symptom, with mean duration prior to CD diagnosis of 9.2 years, whereas diarrhoea was observed for the shortest period (4.7 years). The mean duration of any symptom before CD diagnosis was 7.3 years, compared to 13.2 years in the UK. CD diagnosis and the introduction of a gluten-free diet substantially improved the quality of life in each of the five EQ-5D-5L health dimensions: pain and discomfort, anxiety and depression, usual activities, self-care and mobility (p < 0.001), the EQ-Index by 0.149 (SD 0.23) and the EQ-VAS by 30.4 (SD 28.3) points. Conclusions Duration of symptoms prior to the diagnosis of CD in Poland, although shorter than in the UK, was long with an average of 7.3 years from first CD symptoms. Faster CD diagnosis after the onset of symptoms in Polish respondents may be related to a higher percentage of children in the Polish sample. Introduction of a gluten-free diet improves coeliac patients’ quality of life. These results suggest that doctors should be made more aware of CD and its symptoms across all age groups.

The United Kingdom

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret O’Brien ◽  
Sara Connolly ◽  
Svetlana Speight ◽  
Matthew Aldrich ◽  
Eloise Poole
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Cultural Mandate ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Uk ◽  
State Context

This chapter examines contemporary fathering practices in the UK liberal welfare state context, where recent legislation has expanded fathers’ access to work-family reconciliation rights, albeit rather minimally. Data are provided to explore whether the new cultural mandate for active fathers holds for the quantity and the quality of time fathers spend with young children. Time use and employment activity data does show an increase in British fathers’ care time and a reduction in paid work time over the decade. Since 2003 British fathers can take two weeks paid leave after the birth of a child, and by the end of the decade over 90% of fathers took significant post-birth leave. However, British fathers, continue to have one of the longest working weeks and highest level of work–family conflict amongst European fathers. In the absence of stronger work–family reconciliation measures, underlying maternalist and modified breadwinner cultures remain resilient.

Microbiological Quality of Ready-to-Eat Food Served in Schools in Wales, United Kingdom

2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. MELDRUM ◽  
P. T. MANNION ◽  
J. GARSIDE ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clostridium Perfringens ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Laboratory Service ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Quality Of Food

A survey of the general microbiological quality of ready-to-eat food served in schools was undertaken across Wales, United Kingdom. Of the 2,351 samples taken, four were identified as containing unsatisfactory counts of Escherichia coli, four contained unsatisfactory counts of Staphylococcus aureus, and one contained an unacceptable count of Bacillus cereus when compared with guidelines for the microbiological quality of ready-to-eat food published by the United Kingdom Public Health Laboratory Service in 2000. No samples contained detectable levels of Salmonella, Listeria species, or Clostridium perfringens. When compared with data on the general microbiological quality of food available in Wales, the food sampled from schools was of relatively better microbiological quality.

Assessment of the Microbiological Quality of Meat Pies from Retail Sale in England 2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 781-788 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIM McLAUCHLIN ◽  
HEATHER AIRD ◽  
ANDRE CHARLETT ◽  
NICOLA ELVISS ◽  
ANDREW FOX ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Foodborne Illness ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Microbiological Parameters ◽  
Bacillus Spp ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Coagulase Positive Staphylococci

ABSTRACT Outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes in England associated with meat pie consumption were detected in 2012. To obtain baseline data for pies unrelated to outbreaks, 862 samples of ready-to-eat meat pies were collected at retail or from catering facilities in England in 2013 and examined to enumerate food-poisoning bacteria and indicator organisms using Organization for Standardization (ISO) methods for Listeria spp. including L. monocytogenes (ISO 11290), Clostridium perfringens (ISO 21528), coagulase-positive staphylococci including Staphylococcus aureus (ISO 6888), Bacillus spp. including B. cereus (ISO 1737), Escherichia coli (ISO 16649), Enterobacteriaceae (ISO 21528), and aerobic colony counts (ACCs; ISO 4833). Microbiological quality was satisfactory in 94% of samples, borderline in 5%, and unsatisfactory in 1%. The proportion of pies from markets that were borderline or unsatisfactory significantly increased, and the proportion of borderline or unsatisfactory pies from supermarkets significantly decreased. Among the refrigerated (0 to 15°C) pies, microbiological quality significantly decreased in pies stored at &gt;8°C and further significantly decreased at in pies stored at ambient temperature (&gt;15 to 25°C). Samples collected at 25 to 40°C had the highest proportion of borderline or unsatisfactory results, but results improved in pies stored at &gt;40°C. The most common cause for borderline or unsatisfactory results was elevated ACCs (5% of all samples). Within the individual microbiological parameters, borderline or unsatisfactory results resulted from elevated Enterobacteriaceae or Bacillus levels (10 samples for each), C. perfringens levels (2 samples), and S. aureus or E. coli levels (1 sample each). L. monocytogenes was recovered from one pie at &lt;10 CFU/g. A literature review revealed a range of microbiological hazards responsible for food poisoning and meat pie consumption, and surveillance data from 1992 to 2012 from England indicated that C. perfringens was the most commonly reported cause of outbreaks of foodborne illness.

scholarly journals The microbiological quality of seven large commercial private water supplies in the United Kingdom

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kay ◽  
A. P. Wyn-Jones ◽  
C. M. Stapleton ◽  
L. Fewtrell ◽  
M. D. Wyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Raw Water ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

Some 1% of the UK population derives their potable water from 140,000 private water supplies (PWSs) regulated by Local Authorities. The overwhelming majority of these are very small domestic supplies serving a single property or a small number of properties. Treatment for such supplies is rudimentary or non-existent and their microbiological quality has been shown to be poor in every published study to date. Private water supplies serving commercial enterprises such as hotels, restaurants, food production premises and factories are more frequently treated and subject to closer regulation in the United Kingdom. As a result, it has been assumed that these larger commercial supplies are less likely to experience elevated faecal indicator and pathogen concentrations at the consumer tap which have been observed at small domestic supplies. This paper reports on intensive monitoring at seven commercial private water supplies (six of which were treated) spread throughout the UK serving hotels, holiday parks and food production enterprises. Daily sampling of ‘potable’ water, both at the consumer tap and using large volume filtration for Giardia and Cryptosporidium spp. was conducted over two six week periods in the spring and autumn of 2000. This allowed the effects of short term episodic peaks in faecal indicator and pathogen concentration to be quantified. All the supplies experienced intermittent pathogen presence and only one, a chlorinated deep borehole supply, fully complied with UK water quality regulations during both periods of sampling. Poor microbiological water quality typically followed periods of heavy rainfall. This suggests that the design and installation of such systems should be undertaken only after the likely range of raw water quality has been characterised, which requires a thorough understanding of the effects of flow and seasonality on raw water quality. There is no reason to suspect that the monitored sites are uncharacteristic of other commercial supplies and the results reinforce public health concerns related to domestic supplies. Furthermore, the pattern of contamination is highly episodic, commonly lasting only a few days. Thus, the relatively infrequent regulatory monitoring of such supplies would be unlikely to identify the poor water quality episodes and does not provide the data necessary for public health protection. Although some statistical relationship was found between faecal indicator organisms and the presence of pathogens, the use of FIOs in assessments of regulatory compliance may not always provide a reliable measure of public health risk, i.e. indicator absence does not preclude pathogen presence. The results of this study suggest that a risk assessment system similar to the WHO ‘Water Safety Planning’ approach might offer a more appropriate regulatory paradigm for private water supplies.

Microbiological Water Quality Requirements for Salad Irrigation in the United Kingdom

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 2029-2035 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. TYRREL ◽  
J. W. KNOX ◽  
E. K. WEATHERHEAD
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Water Quality Monitoring ◽  
Irrigation Water Quality ◽  
Water Quality Standards ◽  
The United Kingdom

The growth in United Kingdom salad production is dependent on irrigation to maintain product quality. There are concerns that irrigation with poor-quality water could pose a disease risk. This article examines the key issues in the emerging debate on the microbiological quality of water used for salad irrigation in the United Kingdom. The links between irrigation water quality and foodborne disease, and the current international guidance on irrigation water quality, are firstly reviewed. The findings indicate that a number of recent food-poisoning outbreaks have been linked to the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and that unhygienic product handling is implicated as the principal source of contamination. There is also credible evidence that salads contaminated in the field, including by irrigation water, can pose a small disease risk at the point of sale. Although irrigation water–quality standards exist in various forms internationally, there is no nationally agreed on standard used in the United Kingdom. This paper then describes the results of a survey conducted in 2003 of United Kingdom irrigation practices that might influence the microbiological quality of salads. The survey showed that surface water is the principal irrigation water source, that overhead irrigation predominates, that the gap between the last irrigation and harvest may be &lt;24 h in many cases, and that current water-quality monitoring practices are generally very limited in scope. This paper concludes with a discussion of the issues emerging from the review and survey, including the need for improved water-quality monitoring, and the problems associated with establishing water-quality standards that could be either too strict or too lax.

scholarly journals Comparing the strategies used to maintain the coach-athlete relationship in Japan and the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
pp. 4-12
Author(s):  
Daniel Rhind ◽  
Frank Owusu-Sekyere ◽  
Daichi Ando
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Cultural Factors ◽  
Relationship Maintenance ◽  
Satisfaction Questionnaire ◽  
Maintenance Strategies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Athlete Satisfaction ◽  
The Uk

The present study explored the strategies used to maintain the quality of the coach-athlete relationship amongst rowers in Japan and the United Kingdom. A total of 93 athletes from Japan (N = 49) and UK (N = 44) completed the Coach Athlete Relationship Maintenance Questionnaire (CARM-Q) and the Athlete Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ). The results of T-tests showed that (a) university rowers in the UK were significantly more satisfied with the coach-athlete relationship than those in Japan; (b) the athletes in Japan expressed higher scores on Preventative strategies than the ones in the UK; (c) the athletes in the UK expressed higher scores on all other CARM-Q subscales with the exception of Social Networks. The results of correlation analyses revealed positive associations between the use of maintenance strategies and athlete satisfaction. These findings evidence the importance of coaches using strategies to maintain the effectiveness of their relationship with athletes as well as the importance of researchers taking cultural factors into account.

scholarly journals Court interpreting in the United Kingdom: analysis of the Ministry of Justice’s Language Service New Contract

2016 ◽  
pp. 149-171
Author(s):  
Aurora Ruiz Mezcua ◽  
Alicia Fernández Gallego Casilda
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Service Contract ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Court Interpreting ◽  
The Uk ◽  
New System

Court interpreting is a challenging context where languages are fundamental to ensure justice and respect for human rights. The phenomenon of public service interpreting is a relatively recent one and the UK is considered to be one of the pioneer countries in providing Community Interpretation. The main objective of this research is to analyse the diverse aspects of the contract signed by the MoJ in 2012 with a private company for the outsourcing of language services. The MoJ previously obtained such services from freelance interpreters through a different system. We study the reasons for changing the old Ministry of Justice language service contract, the transition and also the new system, from an interpreting quality perspective. Consequently, this paper concentrates on one hypothesis: that there are elements in this outsourcing contract that pose a risk to the quality of the services provided under it.

The development and scientific principles of an environmental classification for strategic ecological survey in the United Kingdom

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sheail ◽  
R.G.H. Bunce
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
European Continent ◽  
Environmental Classification ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Ecological Resources ◽  
Scientific Principles ◽  
The Uk

A method of environmental classification has been applied twice to surveys of the whole of England, Scotland and Wales (the United Kingdom). Such experience is now being extended to the European continent. The paper draws on the unpublished working-papers of the relevant scientists and institutions in reconstructing both the motives and circumstances in which a methodology was developed in the UK for the assessment of the ecological resources of the wider countryside. The principles of strategic classification and subsequent sampling from defined strata were initially devised for broadleaved woodland, and first tested at a regional level. They drew on classical regression theory, with the environmental classification being the independent, and the vegetation or habitat the dependent, variable. The approach was linked to the development of efficient algorithms for analysis and classification, and more recently remote sensing and geographical information systems. Successive Countryside Surveys of the UK, carried out since 1978, have provided an objective measurement of the decline in the quality of vegetation and habitats. Such a statistically robust approach can be used to measure the rates of vegetation and habitat change at the strategic European level, and as an aid to devising appropriate rural-resources policies.

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