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What is it?
- Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is a type of bacteria widespread in the environment and in the gut of people and animals.
- It can form spores and toxins that are not destroyed by cooking or boiling.
What's the risk?
- C. perfringens can cause gastro illness.
- Anyone can get sick with C. perfringens but vulnerable people (i.e. young children, pregnant women, the elderly) and people with weak immune systems (like cancer patients) can get seriously ill.
- Foods at higher risk of contamination include meat and poultry, thickened sauces (gravies, etc) and pre-cooked foods, especially spiced and herbed dishes.
Symptoms of illness
- Symptoms usually start 6 to 24 hours after eating contaminated food and common symptoms include abdominal cramps and diarrhoea. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting and fever.
- Most people have mild symptoms and recover within a day or less.
Reduce your risk
- Cook food thoroughly and serve it immediately or keep it hot (60oC or hotter) before serving
- Cool cooked food quickly if it is going to be stored and used later:
- put it in the fridge (or freezer) as soon as it stops steaming
- divide large amounts of hot food into smaller containers to let it cool faster
- Make sure your fridge is running at 5oC or colder
- Leftovers in the fridge should be eaten within 3-4 days (or within 1 day for vulnerable people)
- Reheat cooked food quickly with a microwave or stovetop (to 75oC)
- Wash your hands with soap and dry them before preparing and eating food
- Keep your kitchen and equipment clean
Page last updated: 13 March 2025