FOOD POISONING

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has started to reverse in recent years but food poisoning. remains a public health concern, … postnote January 2003 Number 193 Food Poisoning Page 2 …

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January 2003 Number 193
FOOD POISONING
Cases of food poisoning in the UK increased
significantly through the 1980s and 1990s. This trend
has started to reverse in recent years but food poisoning
remains a public health concern, with an estimated one
in five people affected by infectious intestinal disease
each year. The Government has set a target to reduce
foodborne disease by 20% between 2001 and 2006.
This briefing describes the trends in foodborne disease
in the UK and examines options for meeting the
Government target.
Background
Food poisoning is any disease of an infectious or toxic
nature caused by the consumption of food or water. The
most common symptoms are diarrhoea, vomiting and
abdominal pain. Such symptoms are common to most
infectious intestinal disease (IID) and, while people will
usually attribute their symptoms to recently consumed
food, the micro-organisms that cause IID are also
transmitted through other routes such as person-toperson
contact and contact with animals. Of the
estimated 10.5million cases of IID in England and Wales
in 1995, it is thought that only 2.4million can be
attributed directly to the consumption of food. It has
been estimated that, at 1993-95 prices, IID in England…