Salmonella-related guidance for students in Veterinary Medicine and those in practical training in the food industry

Under Section 56 of the Infectious Diseases Act employers must request those in practical training to provide a reliable assessment that they are not infected with Salmonella if they intend to participate in duties that include an increased risk of spreading the Salmonella infection.

A student who has not yet presented an assessment of the risk of Salmonella infection must not work in

• food premises, as specified in the Food Act (23/2006), in duties involving the handling of unpacked foods that will be served unheated;
• at a dairy production farm in duties involving the processing of milk, except milking, if the farm provides milk to a dairy that does not pasteurise milk.

The health assessment involves

• an interview at the FSHS. During the interview, emphasis will be given to observing good hygiene practice in food work (not working when symptomatic, informing the practical training location about diseases that could spread via food, emphasising the importance of good hand hygiene at work, providing training on good hand hygiene). A certificate concerning the health assessment will be issued at the time of interview.
• A laboratory assessment will be performed if the student currently has, or has had within the past month, a medical condition involving diarrhoea accompanied by fever. The need for a laboratory assessment depends on abdominal symptoms reported by the student.