Travellers struck down by food poisoning at a hotel in Sharm el Sheikh

Added 25/06/2010

Buffet of food

More than 80 visitors that stayed at the Holiday Village Red Sea in Sharm el Sheikh between May 2008 and January 2009 were struck down by violent bouts of food poisoning. As such, they have banded together to sue First Choice for negligence.

The holidaymakers suffered from gastro intestinal illnesses, salmonella and C difficile after eating food at the hotel in Sharm el Sheikh.

The victims claim that the hotel failed to acknowledge standard levels of food hygiene. Food was prepared in an unhygienic environment and was often not cooked properly - meat was undercooked and in some cases, raw, while cold food was not properly refrigerated. Flies were not successfully kept away from the buffet area.

In addition, the public toilets looked as though they hadn’t been properly cleaned and not all serving staff wore gloves. Separate utensils weren’t used for different types of food, so it is possible that raw and cooked food may have come into contact. Bottled water was provided in previously opened bottles, indicating they may have been filled with tap water.

When you are on holiday, try to avoid getting food poisoning by staying vigilant when eating and drinking and maintaining good personal hygiene. Drink bottled water instead of tap water and ensure the lid is properly sealed before opening.

Ensure that hot food is piping hot throughout and try to avoid buffets where meals have been kept warm over a period of time. Don’t eat food that has flies buzzing around it and make sure that meat has been properly cooked.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from food poisoning whilst you are abroad, make sure you have travel insurance to cover the cost of medical care. Goodtogoinsurance.com has a range of single trip and annual travel insurance policies available. We even offer cover to travellers with pre existing medical conditions.

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