The Norovirus
How to Prevent an Outbreak in Your Establishment
Everyone is welcome in your establishment — except the norovirus, which you’d rather keep outside. You don’t want to imagine spreading the virus in your business through your dishes. But how exactly does the norovirus spread via food? And what can you do to prevent contamination as much as possible? Inspector Friso van Oudheusden explains.
The Norovirus at the Start of the Food Chain
The norovirus can enter the food chain early on. “For example, during mussel farming, through the shell’s filtration system. If the water is contaminated with the norovirus, the shellfish remains contaminated. When people eat such an infected mussel, they become infected as well. Soft fruits or ready-to-eat products that aren’t heated, such as raw vegetables, also pose a risk. Heating kills the virus, but many processes in the food industry don’t include a heating step. You don’t cook oysters, for example. In such cases, the virus can survive.”
The Norovirus at the End of the Food Chain
Contamination at the end of the food chain is also possible — through hands, saliva, or sneezing. Person-to-person transmission can occur as well. These are the measures you can take to minimize the risk of infection:
-
Good hand hygiene. Wash your hands after every task — whether it’s smoking, taking a break, or eating. Wash your hands before starting any new type of work. For example, if you first cut vegetables and then start filleting fish, wash your hands in between. Also good to know: the norovirus can survive freezing temperatures.
-
Do not wear jewelry or watches. The only exception is a plain wedding band — and even that is best removed. Anything the virus could cling to should not be worn during food preparation.
-
Mandatory reporting. Establish a policy that requires employees with symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, headache, or vomiting to report to their supervisor. If the symptoms are serious, send the employee home — continuing to work is too risky. If a hospitality business receives five reports of similar symptoms within 24 hours that resemble those of the norovirus, it is legally required to report this to the GGD (Municipal Health Service) and the NVWA (Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority).