Food related illness on the rise
Updated on 12 February 2008
Rates of food-related diseases such as salmonella increased between 2005 and 2006, latest figures show.
Cases of salmonella rose by 10.7% while E.coli rose by 10.8% year-on-year.
Overall, the figures show a 1.7% upturn in cases of the five key food-borne pathogens between 2005 and 2006, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This was the first overall increase since 2000, the food watchdog said.
Of the other main causes of food-borne disease, rates of listeria dropped by 4.5% while campylobacter dipped 0.3%.
Cases of clostridium perfringens dropped by 67.5% to just 180 laboratory reported cases in 2006, the FSA said.
Salmonella and campylobacter caused the highest number of reported cases of food-related illness in the UK.
Laboratory reports show 52,404 cases of campylobacter in 2006 while salmonella increased to 13,974 cases.
Data on food-borne illnesses for 2006 was provided by the Health Protection Agency and appears in the FSA's progress report on food safety.
In 2006, food borne diseases had an estimated cost to the economy of England and Wales of £1.484 billion - up from £1.411 billion the previous year. This figure takes account of NHS costs, the direct costs to the patient including medicine and transport, plus loss of earnings suffered by patients and their carers.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
