People in England dealing with food poisoning, ‘Russian roulette’, as diseases increase

The public is increasingly confronted with food-related ‘Russian roulette’, with hospital admissions for three common illnesses linked to food poisoning reaching the highest levels in decades.

Admissions for salmonella infections in England amounted to 1,468 hospital visits between April 2022 and March 2023, NHS data shows, a rate of three admissions per 100,000 people, a record high.

E coli and campylobacter have also reached record highs in the past two years, with the latter’s hospitalizations reaching more than 4,340, a rate of nine per 100,000 people in 2023, up from three per 100,000 in 2000.

The cause of the increase is disputed. Experts point to several factors: a weakening of regulatory focus, a weakening of standards in post-Brexit import controls and budget cuts in local authorities, while the UK Food Standards Authority attributes this to better detection.

Whatever the reasons, the result is an “unprecedented rise in foodborne illness.”

Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University, said it was not a surprise and that more cases would come “until the British public wakes up and says it is not acceptable”. He added that they should ask themselves: “Why should I play Russian roulette with food?”

He attributed the increase in cases to a “weakening of state attention and regulatory focus on food hygiene and safety.” He added that the situation had been “made worse by Brexit and cuts to local authorities, and a fragmentation of the food safety management system”.

Excluding pandemic years, admissions for salmonella reached their lowest point a decade ago, with 834 annual admissions in 2013. Ten years later, NHS data shows this number is 76% higher.

On average, about 30% of salmonella shots are typhoid salmonella, a type that is likely travel-related.

People were warned about this in 2023 use caution when handling and preparing poultry products at home. More than 200 people became ill with a variant of salmonella linked to poultry and eggs imported from Poland. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it is investigating a recent rise in cases of salmonella food poisoning linked to poultry from Poland.

James Mottershead, chairman of the NFU Poultry Council, said it was “deeply concerning” to hear that “poultry products produced outside Britain are being imported from countries where salmonella cases are on the rise”.

Mottershead added that British poultry farmers “take pride in producing to some of the highest food standards in the world and must comply with strict food safety and environmental legislation”. He said: “While we will always remain a food trading nation, we must not allow imported products to enter our food system that may not be produced to the same standards.”

Lang said: “In the 1980s there was a moment of amazing action and focus on food issues… There was mad cow disease and all kinds of big scandals… Basically, there was an attempt to clean up and tighten across Europe, and Great Britain was part of that. from that. In the past fifteen years, all of that has weakened.”

Lang also said local hygiene officials had suffered cuts, as had the FSA. “We have also left the European Union, whose structure has a huge focus on inspection and quality control,” he said.

Louise Hosking, Executive Director of Environmental Health at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), said that amid an “unprecedented rise in foodborne illness” the “fight against such outbreaks starts with strengthening the capacity of environmental health teams of the local government”.

“However, while more funding is critical, this in itself is not the solution. We must also address the inadequate numbers entering the profession, which threatens the future pipeline and our ability to effectively protect public health,” she said.

It is not possible to separate shots for salmonella caused by food from shots caused by other methods, such as contact with some animals or due to poor handwashing. However, some studies have shown that on average about 80% of salmonella cases are due to food, while in some cases this has risen to 90%.

a study published in 2020 by the FSA estimated that there were 2.4 million cases of foodborne illness in Britain in 2018, with 16,400 hospital admissions. Among the most common infections are salmonella and campylobacter, an infection associated with eating or handling raw or undercooked meat and touching pet feces. It is estimated that 67% of cases are due to food.

The UK Health Security Agency has attributed the rise in admissions to advances in the use of molecular diagnostics. Amy Douglas, senior epidemiologist, said: “These gastrointestinal bacteria can be spread both from person to person and through food, so anyone affected should wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet and avoid handling food where possible. to go or to prepare for others.”

Narriman Looch, head of foodborne illness response at the FSA, said: “While there are a number of reasons why we have seen an increase in hospital admissions for salmonella infections in recent years, this does not necessarily indicate an increased prevalence of salmonella in the world. community.”

Looch said consumers can reduce their risk of most forms of food poisoning at home by refrigerating, cleaning, cooking and avoiding cross-contamination, and by practicing good hygiene in general.

Tips to prevent food poisoning

Food poisoning can cause vomiting, high fever, diarrhea and other symptoms, with some groups – including young children, pregnant women, adults aged 65 and over and people with weakened immune systems – at greater risk of serious illness.

As the NS saysSuch a disease is usually caused by bacteria such as campylobacter, salmonella or E. coli – or by the norovirus, also called the fallow bug.

However, if the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are some basic steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

First, it is critical to clean both hands and work surfaces, including cutting boards, before touching food. It is also recommended to use separate cutting boards for preparing different types of food, such as meat or vegetables, and to store them separately in the refrigerator to avoid contamination.

Another important step is to ensure that all fruits and vegetables are thoroughly washed and that all meat is fully cooked before eating. In the latter case, this means that the core of the meat reaches the right temperature; for chicken, for example, this is 75 degrees Celsius.

A food thermometer can be useful, but if it is not available Inform NHS says a useful rule is that the meat should be cooked until the juices run clear, it is steaming hot all over, and it is not pink in the center. In the case of barbecues, consider cooking the meat in the oven before finishing it on the outdoor grill.

Storing leftovers correctly also reduces the risk of food poisoning: the refrigerator should be between 0C and 5C, cooked food should be stored as soon as possible after cooling and leftovers should not be stored for more than two days.

Other tips include not refreezing thawed raw meat and avoiding eating food that has passed its expiration date.