Don't make your mealtime a horror story
Monday 9 June 2008
Summer food poisoning statistics
Ref: R1374
Cases of the top two food poisoning germs (salmonella and campylobacter) are set to soar to more than 120,000 in just three months this summer according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on the launch of its new GermWatch campaign this week.
GermWatch aims to combat the rise in food poisoning cases, which cost the economy, in England and Wales, upwards of £1.5 billion1 a year and double in frequency during the summer months. The South West region of England has the highest number of estimated cases in June, July and August (16,600 cases), shortly followed by the East (16,300), and South East (14,000).2,3,4
Dr Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist at the Food Standards Agency said: 'This is just a snapshot of the two most common food poisoning bugs. But with enough cases of salmonella and campylobacter to fill Wembley Stadium in just three months, this summer might be pretty unpleasant for some people. Even worse, it could prove fatal for vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
'Despite the picture painted by these statistics, admitting the germs might have come from your own home remains a taboo subject. Whether it's because of the hot weather, undercooked meat on the barbecue or people playing fast and loose with use by dates, food poisoning shoots up over the summer and could make your mealtime a real horror story.
'That's why we've had to beef up our campaign to really bring the message home. We're introducing a new character, "Grubeye", which will be used in advertising and nationwide activities with schools and local authorities. He'll be accompanied by some "Killer Facts"5 about food poisoning to help dispel the myth that food poisoning only comes from that dodgy takeaway.'
The latest figures show an increase in annual cases of food poisoning, the first rise in the UK's seen since 20006. Despite this, a recent FSA survey7 showed that three-quarters of the public had never heard of the most common cause of food poisoning – campylobacter. In fact, 82% of people, and particularly the elderly (87%), think they’re unlikely to get food poisoning from food at home. The survey also found:
- 89% of people don’t store raw meat properly8
- 63% of people don’t wash their hands after handling raw meat or fish9
The best way to avoid food poisoning is to follow the 4 Cs: cooking, chilling, cleaning and avoiding cross-contamination. More information can be found on the FSA's consumer website at the link below.
Notes to editors
1. Total cost to the economy, in England and Wales, takes into account direct and indirect costs, and uses estimates for NHS costs, direct personal costs and loss of earnings for the case and for the carer, minor illness costs, major illness costs, incapacity and death.
2. The regional estimates for England in the table below are based on laboratory reported cases, using the most recent, 2006, data from the Health Protection Agency. The reported figures were multiplied by information from the Infectious Intestinal Disease study (IID), which established the ratio between reported cases and estimated cases in the community. The figures were also adjusted by the proportion that are indigenous and are foodborne to give an estimate of actual cases.
| English region | Estimated number of cases of salmonella and campylobacter (June, July, August 2006) |
|---|---|
| South West | 16,600 |
| East | 16,300 |
| South East | 14,000 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 13,400 |
| North West | 13,200 |
| West Midlands | 12,100 |
| London | 11,700 |
| East Midlands | 6,700 |
| North East | 6,600 |
| Total: England and Wales | 117,600 |
3. The number of cases is not proportionate to population size of the region. See table below for cases in proportion to estimated mid-year resident population of region. Population does not account for seasonal changes.
4. The differences may be influenced by reporting rates within the regions and also population sizes within the regions (see the table below). These may not exactly correspond to the region the patient is in or the region where they contracted the food poisoning, e.g. the nearest lab may be in another region or the patient may be visiting the area.
| English region | Cases of salmonella and campylobacter per 1,000 population (June, July, August 2006) |
|---|---|
| South West | 3.2 |
| East | 2.9 |
| North East | 2.6 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 2.6 |
| West Midlands | 2.3 |
| North West | 1.9 |
| South East | 1.7 |
| London | 1.6 |
| East Midlands | 1.5 |
5. The 'Killer Facts' used in the campaign warn of the dangers of poor food hygiene and give practical advice to consumers on how to prevent it. These are:
Cooking
Food poisoning cases double during the summer months. Cook your burgers and sausages until there is no pink meat and they are piping hot throughout.
Cleaning
More than 400 people die in the UK die from food poisoning each year. You can help protect your family by washing your hands before preparing food.
Chilling
Outside the fridge, just 10 invisible germs can multiply to 1000 in 6 hours. Keep your family's food in a cool bag or cool box when you're eating outside.
Cross-contamination
Food poisoning can kill. Help protect your family by keeping raw meat and poultry in covered containers at the bottom of the fridge.
Salmonella can be spread easily around your kitchen. Never use the same chopping board for raw and ready-to-eat foods.
6. The incidence of foodborne disease has increased by 1.7% from 2005 to 2006 – the first increase since 2000.
7. 2057 people took part in the UK-wide survey ran by TNS CAPI Omnibus in May 2008.
8. Raw meat should be kept covered and at the bottom of the fridge. Participants were asked to state, unprompted, how they stored raw meat and poultry in the fridge.
9. Participants were asked, unprompted, when preparing and cooking food when did they wash their hands.
10. In 2006, there was an estimated total of 299,934 cases of campylobacter and 34,732 of salmonella.
11. More information about food poisoning germs and symptoms can be found at the link below.
Room 245 Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH
Telephone: 020 7276 8888
Out of hours duty pager: 07623 978344
Fax: 020 7276 8833
Email: press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk