The newly established Food Standards Agency is to tackle the increasing cost of food poisoning with the funding announced in the Government’s spending review. Up to 4.5 million people a year are estimated to suffer from food-borne disease. Of these, there are about half a million cases of the most common forms of food poisoning (Campylobacter, Salmonella) and up to 750,000 people a year consult their GPs suffering from these illnesses. Around 50-60 people a year die from food poisoning.
The cost to the NHS and business is estimated to be £79 a case, putting the annual cost at up to £350 million a year. The costs of the most common forms of food poisoning (Campylobacter, Salmonella) is estimated at £110 million a year.
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Plans include:
- reducing food-borne disease by 20% by 2006
- improving risk control in small businesses, particularly those involved in processing high risk foods
- making sure that food handlers receive proper training and that the training results in safer practice
- raising the standards of food hygiene in the home
- working in partnership with local authorities to improve surveillance and enforcement
- working in partnership with the food industry to raise standards of hygiene
Suzi Leather, Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency said:
” We are setting a tough target of reducing foodborne illness by 20 per cent by 2006. This isn’t just about funny-tummies – there’s a real cost to people, business and the NHS. Food poisoning is common, it’s a real illness that can kill people and it is preventable.
Current levels of illness are unacceptable and we will work with the food industry to improve standards and with local authorities to ensure they are effectively enforced. If we can deliver on our targets then there will be real benefits to consumers and it will ease the burden on the NHS. ”
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By GlobalDataNOTES FOR EDITORS
1. The Food Standards Agency was formed in April 2000 and assumed responsibility for food safety throughout the UK. Its current funding is £87m (net). This new funding is for April 2001 – 04.
Food Poisoning
2. The Study of Intestinal Infectious Disease in England (IID) estimated that there were 9.4 million cases of IID in the community per year in 1994 and 1995, of which 1.5 million presented to their GP. The study investigated all cases of IID, not just those due to food poisoning. It is estimated that less than half the cases were due to food poisoning. The IID study estimated that the total cost of IID was at least £3/4 billion pa.
3. A number of control measures have been introduced to reduce the likelihood of contaminated food entering the food chain and to prevent spread by cross contamination of other food products. There is a general requirement for food businesses to identify and control the risks associated with their products using several of the principles of HACCP. HACCP is internationally accepted as the most effective way to manage food safety in food businesses and protect public health. It provides a structured, methodical approach to managing food safety by controlling hazards inherent in food handling and production processes. This approach has been widely adopted by the main food producers and work is now in hand to help small businesses and the catering sector develop HACCP systems appropriate to their enterprises.
4. There are also controls applicable to certain types of product. In the red meat sector , for example, these include controls to reduce carcass contamination at abattoirs and the promotion of the hygienic handling of meat and meat products throughout the distribution system. The Chief Medical Officer has also published guidance on the safe cooking of burgers. In the poultry sector, a range of measures to improve flock hygiene, together with vaccination programmes, are in place.
