Food Standards Agency
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Listen to this siteTuesday 21 May 2002
Ref: WA16/02KC
As summer and the Queen's Golden Jubilee approaches many people will be getting into the party spirit. Picnics, barbecues and street parties have always been a favourite way to celebrate and relax with friends. Just under half of all UK homes already have a barbecue with one in three people in Wales owning one. However, the message this summer is don't get caught out by an undercooked burger.
Research shows that food poisoning figures almost double during summer months, jumping from a weekly average of 1,201 in January to 2,168 in June. This leap may be linked to our increasing enjoyment of cooking and eating ‘al fresco', particularly during the summer months.
The 2001 FSA Consumer Attitudes Survey demonstrated that food-borne illness is the number one concern for 6 out of 10 people - scoring higher than any other food issue. Responding to this concern, a new Food Standards Agency television advert warns of the hidden dangers of not cooking sausages, burgers and chicken portions properly.
Recent Public Health Laboratory Service figures show that Wales records high numbers for cases of campylobacter (a type of food poisoning found in raw or undercooked meat and poultry), with 3,484 cases reported in Wales during 2000.
The Agency is encouraging people to make use of the three simple food hygiene tips when cooking food outside:
These key food hygiene messages will be displayed on 2 million disposable barbecue packs and 1 million bags of charcoal, which are available in supermarkets and petrol stations. The tips will remind people that they should employ the same food hygiene standards when barbecuing as they do when cooking in their own homes.
Barbecues are expected to be particularly popular this June, as people celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee over the extended Bank Holiday weekend. Food Standards Agency Board Member and Chef, Robert Rees is keen to highlight the importance of good food hygiene practice:
'Barbecues are an excellent way to unwind and have fun in the summer but they can be disastrous if you do get food poisoning. The main food poisoning bugs cause severe stomach cramps, sickness and diarrhoea.
'It is not surprising that we see a peak in food related illness this time of year. Many harmful bacteria grow in warmer conditions turning our food into a potential health hazard. People also forget to wash their hands frequently and to keep raw meats away from salad and fruit to prevent cross contamination. Just by spending a few extra minutes making sure food is well prepared and cooked through, could save days of stomach upset misery. With a little extra hygiene care, barbecues can be safe, fun and enjoyable for all.'
To ensure that barbecues and picnics remain a favourite summer past time, the Food Standards Agency is also providing further advice on how to reduce food poisoning this summer. Details can be found on the Agency's website: www.food.gov.uk and the information is available to download in nine other languages. There are also two special leaflets, 'Beat the Barbecue Bugs' and 'Catering From Home Safely' available by calling the Agency's Food Hygiene Campaign line on 0845 608 6089.
And if the nation wants to test its 'safe outside' cooking knowledge, the FSA has created a one-off Barbecue Quiz, to find out if we are country of 'silly burgers' or barbecue brains. The quiz can be found on http://www.food.gov.uk/bbquiz.
This is part of the Agency's 5 year UK-wide Food Hygiene Campaign which aims to reduce food poisoning by 20% by 2006.
Back to topFSA Board Member, Robert Rees and FSA Wales Director Joy Whinney are available for interviews on request. Requests for Welsh language interviews are welcome.
Photos of disposable BBQ packs are available on request.
The PHLS (Public Health Laboratory Service) CDSC's (Communicable Disease Surveillance Centres) in England and Wales, CDSC Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, recorded 65,209 laboratory-confirmed cases of food poisoning caused by the top 5 food-borne bacteria (Salmonella, E.Coli 0157, Campylobacter, Listeria and Clostridium perfringens) in the UK in 2000. National surveillance centres will continue to report numbers of laboratory-confirmed cases of food poisoning to the Food Standards Agency annually, against which the Agency will measure its progress in achieving the goal of reducing incidents of food poisoning by 20% by 2006.
The nation-wide Consumer Attitudes to Food survey 2001 was commissioned in October 2000 in order to track trends year on year and provide the Food Standards Agency with a clear understanding of consumer attitudes to food safety and food standards. Interviewing was conducted face-to-face with respondents in their home. The final report is based on a total of 3120 interviews across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Research was conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres for the Food Standards Agency.
The Food Standards Agency was created by an act of Parliament in April 2000. Offices are in London, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Belfast.
Figures on BBQ ownership - based on 440 female housewives aged 15 plus who own a barbecue, source Mintel, barbecue report April 2002.
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(pdf 75KB) Summer Eating tips (External) Get Adobe Acrobat reader You may need the free Acrobat Reader to view a pdf
11th Floor, Southgate House,
Wood Street,
Cardiff CF10 1EW
Telephone: 02920 678916
Fax: 02920 678918/9
Email:
caroline.kitson@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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