UK: Concern that consumers are not reporting food poisoning

A Which? survey of 1,000 consumers has revealed that the majority of people who have suffered from food poisoning have failed to report their illness; despite the fact that 80% of respondents believed it was important to do so.Sheila McKechnie, director of the Consumers Association, believes that "food poisoning cases have risen ten-fold over the last two decades." Yet the true extent of the problem seems impossible to gauge at the moment. Magazine editor Helen Parker advised consumers to report any illness, because "the true scale of food poisoning in the UK needs to be identified."

September 11, 2000

A Which? survey of 1,000 consumers has revealed that the majority of people who have suffered from food poisoning have failed to report their illness; despite the fact that 80% of respondents believed it was important to do so.

Sheila McKechnie, director of the Consumers Association, believes that “food poisoning cases have risen ten-fold over the last two decades.” Yet the true extent of the problem seems impossible to gauge at the moment.