Poultry reaffirmed as top cause of food poisoning

A new report, estimating food poisoning levels in the UK, has reaffirmed campylobacter in chicken as by far the most common cause.

The study, co-ordinated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), suggested there were around 500,000 instances of food poisoning each year, of which campylobacter caused 280,000 cases. Of those, it says 244,000 could be attributed to poultrymeat.

Professor Sarah O’Brien, the study’s lead researcher, said the figures “confirm the FSA is right to put campylobacter at the top of its priority list”.

“It is the biggest food safety problem we have and more needs to be done to tackle it.”

See also Role of farmers crucial in campylobacter fight

The FSA IID2 (Infectious Intestinal Disease) study attempted to estimate the true number of food poisoning cases in the UK beyond those reported to hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. It took figures from a range of sources and then used mathematical modelling to compile the report.

After campylobacter, clostridium perfringens was the second most common, with 80,000 cases, followed by the winter vomiting bug norovirus, which estimates put at 74,000 cases. Salmonella was found to be the pathogen that caused the most hospital admissions – around 2,500 each year.

“Reduction of campylobacter is our top food safety policy, and that is borne out by this research,” said Steve Wearne, director of policy at the FSA. “We recently revised our campylobacter strategy and we, in collaboration with industry, must now push on to find the solutions that will stop so many people getting ill.”