Microbiological safety of food in hospitals and other healthcare settings

Cases and outbreaks of foodborne infection in healthcare settings can result in serious illness, wastage of expensive medical treatments, spread of infection to other patients and staff and disruption of services. Providing nutritious meals for vulnerable people in healthcare settings involves a systematic approach to microbiological safety, as provided by hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) principles. The types of food served in healthcare settings should be selected to minimise the risk of foodborne infection.