2:20pm Thursday 10th June 2010
By James Connell
NEARLY 1,500 people were struck by food poisoning in Worcestershire and Herefordshire last year.
A total of 1,461 people in the two counties became ill last year with food poisoning which can cause severe vomiting and diarrhoea and can be fatal in some cases.
The figures were revealed by the Health Protection Agency as they campaign to prevent people becoming ill at picnics and barbecues this summer.
Each year there are about 70,000 notified cases of food poisoning in England and Wales. Last year there were 7,153 cases within the West Midlands.
The Health Protection Agency, working alongside environmental health services at Worcester City Council, is supporting this week’s Food Safety Week, which runs until Sunday and is organised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Dr Tina Maddison, consultant with the Health Protection Agency, warned that as people are tempted to bring out the barbecue, they should be aware of the risk of uncooked food.
She said: “A bacterium called campylobacter is the commonest cause of food poisoning in Britain.
“Anyone can get campylobacter but some groups including the young and old are at greater risk.
“It can be found in raw poultry and meat – that’s why good food hygiene in the home is so important.
“There are some simple steps people can take to avoid getting ill.
“Thorough washing of hands before and after preparing food and appropriate storing, handling and cooking of food will minimise the risk.”
Toni Smith, FSA regional co-ordinator, said: “Good food hygiene is particularly important during the summer months, when levels of food poisoning soar.”
Bob Martin, food safety expert at the FSA, said simple principles would help people to keep food safe, including cooking food properly and avoiding cross-contamination and ensuring raw meat is stored covered and at the bottom of the fridge, below and away from ready-to-eat food.
Food that needs to be chilled should be kept in a fridge maintained at a temperature between 0C (32F) and 8C (46.4F).
For more information on Food Safety Week, visit food.gov.uk/fsw2010.
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