A survey by the Food and Drink Federation reveals that the stereotype British reluctance to ’cause a fuss’ is being whittled away by a growing willingness to complain about poorly cooked food.

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The survey showed that nine out of ten Britons would kick up a fuss and complain if they were served pink chicken in a restaurant. Eating undercooked poultry and rare minced products such as burgers and sausages is a major cause of food poisoning and in total it is estimated that there are up to 4.5 million cases of food poisoning in the UK each year*.


A new survey by the Food and Drink Federation, organisers of the 10th foodlink National Food Safety Week (10-16 June) found that:



  • 91% would kick up a fuss if they were served pink chicken in a restaurant;

  • but only 65% would complain at a friend’s dinner party;

  • 74% would refuse to “keep mum” if their mother in law served the meal;

  • Nine out ten (90%) aren’t afraid to point out the potential hazard to their other half; and

  • 72% would rather save their stomachs than save face at an important business lunch.

Dirty hands are another major cause of food poisoning. Some germs can stay alive on hands for up to three hours, spreading to all the things we touch. However, Britons are not so inclined to point out the dangers to someone who hasn’t washed their hands after using the toilet.



  • Only one in ten said they would remind someone that they hadn’t washed their hands after using the toilet;

  • Women (11%) are more likely to say something than men (6%); and

  • 32% of schoolchildren (aged 7-14) said they would “raise the alarm” to fellow pupils but only if they knew them

Encouragingly, 88% of adults said they always washed their hands after a visit to the toilet. This is a significant positive increase from foodlink’s 2001 survey, which found that only 76% would do so.

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Consumer awareness of the importance of washing hands has been heightened since foodlink published the gruesome “dirty hands” photography for National Food Safety Week 2001 showing how unwashed hands can harbour bacteria – now being used in the Food Standards Agency’s advertising campaign.


Foodlink also compared the food safety knowledge and behaviour in relation to food hygiene issues of adults and children (aged 7-14):


Some 88% of adults said they always washed their hands after a visit to the toilet;
but more than a quarter (29%) of girls and nearly half (46%) of boys aged 7-14, admitted to not always washing their hands after a visit to the loo.


Worryingly, children are not washing their hands at other key times:



  • Less than three out of ten (28%) children always wash their hands before eating food (over half of adults do – 53%);

  • Only 32% of children always wash their hands after playing with pets. In fact, 17% admit to rarely or never doing so;

  • Only half (50%) of children wash their hands before preparing food, whilst over three quarters (79%) of adults always do.

However, the survey did reveal encouragingly, that the older children got, the better their habits, and the more they knew about food safety issues.