Food safety a major concern for consumers

Five million people in the UK believe they have suffered from food poisoning, according to a report published by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA). The agency, which has carried out a UK-wide survey of consumer attitudes, says official statistics massively under-estimate the number of cases. Three quarters of the UK population say they are fairly or very concerned about food safety. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) are particularly concerned about the safety of raw meat. More people are concerned about raw chicken (54 per cent) than raw beef (53 per cent). Food poisoning and BSE were the biggest worries, but despite this only one in 20 households in the UK includes a vegetarian. Sir John Krebs, chairman of the FSA, said the survey highlighted concerns and promised that the FSA's targets over the next five years would be protecting people against food poisoning and BSE. He commented, "The survey highlights that less than half of consumers are confident about current food safety measures."​ And he called on the whole food industry to bring in changes. The final report is based on a total of 3153 interviews across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For further details visit the Food Standards Agency website.​