Food Hygiene advice for patients discharged following CAR T Cell Therapy

Tel no: 01223 216 655

Although you may no longer be neutropenic (low neutrophil count) after your treatment, your immune system still takes time to recover fully. During this time you may be more vulnerable to infection. The following guidelines will help to reduce the risk of infection and subsequent food poisoning from harmful bacteria.

Shopping

• Avoid buying foods with damaged packaging or dented tins.
• Avoid shops where cooked and raw meat is not separated.
• Buy meat and fish from shelves and cabinets that look clean and are not overloaded.
• Try to buy chilled and frozen foods at the end of you shopping. Get them home and stored in the fridge or freezer as quickly as possible.
• Always eat food within the 'Use By' or 'Best Before' date.

Storage

• Ensure the temperature of your fridge is between 0 and 5°C and your freezer is below -18°C.
• Raw meat and defrosting food should be stored in covered dishes or containers -which catch drips.
• Raw foods should be stored separately from cooked foods.
• Store cooked foods at the top of the fridge and raw foods at the bottom.
• Cover all food in the fridge.
• Never re-freeze thawed food.
• Do not overload the fridge or freezer as this will increase the temperature.
• Eggs should be stored in the fridge.

Food preparation

• Wash your hands properly with soap and water.
• Cover all cuts and grazes.
• Keep pets out of the kitchen.
• Bleach, disinfect or change kitchen cloths often. Disinfect worktops often especially when raw meat or poultry has been prepared.
• Wash and dry utensils and chopping boards between preparing raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.
• Wash all fresh fruit and vegetables before preparation.
• Wipe cans before opening them.

Cooking

• Cook meat, poultry, shellfish and eggs thoroughly.
• Processed meat products like burgers and sausages should be cooked until the meat juices run clear.
• Follow manufacturers' guidelines. Cooking times on food labels and in cookery books should not be shortened. Always pre-heat the oven.
• Thaw meat and poultry thoroughly in the fridge and not at room temperature.
• Do not re-heat foods more than once.
• Always heat until food is piping hot.
• If using a microwave, follow the instructions on cooking and standing times. Know the power rating of your microwave.

Eating away from home

• When eating out or having a take-away, always ensure food is well cooked and piping hot. Ask them to cook it fresh, not from the hotplate
• Eat from reputable establishments.
• Avoid food sold from street vendors, market places, salad bars, delicatessen and ice-cream vans.

Unsuitable foods

High Sugar Foods

As part of your treatment you may be required to avoid high sugar foods - your medical team or dietitian will be able to advise you on foods to avoid.

You can reduce sugar in the diet by:

• Using artificial sweeteners such as Canderel, Nutrasweet, Hermesetas, and Sweetex in place of sugar.
• Choose tinned fruit in natural juice, fresh fruit, and stewed/baked fruit (sweetened with artificial sweetener) rather than tinned fruit in syrup.
• Try sugar-free squash and diet fizzy drinks instead of sugar containing squash and normal fizzy drinks.
• Try non-sugar coated breakfast cereals, for example Weetabix, Branflakes, Shredded Wheat and porridge rather than cereals such as Sugar Puffs, Frosties and Coco Pops.
• Try puddings sweetened with sweeteners rather than sugar for example, milk pudding, custard, instant dessert.
• Replace sweets and mints with sugar-free sweets / mints. These should be eaten in moderation as sorbitol (the sweetener) might cause diarrhoea if eaten in large quantities.

Privacy & dignity

Same sex bays and bathrooms are offered in all wards except critical care and theatre recovery areas where the use of high-tech equipment and / or specialist one to one care is required.