Dear Families and Friends,
Whiddon acknowledges that food is an important part of all of our lives, and we understand that many of you chose to bring food items for your loved ones, however, NSW and QLD Health have issued a warning about Listeria outbreaks in the community.
For the moment, we ask that you do not bring any fresh food items into our homes, and we’ve created a document to help you understand the best ways to avoid any potential risks when bringing in your own food and drinks: Bringing in Food for Residents
Whiddon has decided that until the Relevant Food Authorities advise they are satisfied with their investigations, further measures will be put in place temporarily.
Within each of our care homes, our food teams are well versed with food safety and already have several measures in place to ensure the safety of our residents. As a further measure, Whiddon will be suspending the use of bought in cold meats from any supplier and all cold meats will be cooked and served direct from our kitchens.
Unfortunately, Ham is a product we are unable to produce and so for a 2 week period we will be suspending the use of Ham in all Whiddon homes. This suspension will be reviewed on Monday the 9th of October 2023 or on a date advised by the relevant food authority.
For your information, all Whiddon Fruit and Vegetables are sanitised prior to use unless they undergo a cooking method where the cooking temperature achieved reaches above 75 degrees. This is currently a practice in place to ensure that listeria is removed if present on any fruit or vegetable.
It is important to stress that there is no one within our homes is currently affected by Listeriosis, and we appreciate your understanding during this time.
The Whiddon Team