Last week's E.coli outbreak at a children's farm in Surrey is the latest in a series of outbreaks, which have threatened the long-term health and risked the lives of many people.
More than 30 people and a dozen children among them were identified as having contracted the deadly bacteria in the first few days since the source was identified.
This follows the case of the fish & chip shop in Wrexham last month and the devastating outbreak in the South Wales valleys in 2005 which resulted in the death of a five year old child and 159 people becoming ill, a number of whom have developed serious long-term health problems.
Escherichia Coli, named after the German bacteriologist who discovered it, is a bacterium that occurs naturally in the gut of humans and a number of warm-blooded animals, particularly cattle. A number of strains pose a serious risk to human health if infected through contaminated food, touching animals or poor personal hygiene. More rarely, it can also cause potentially fatal consequences if the bacteria escape from the intestine and enter the abdomen as a result of a ruptured appendix or surgical error. Severity of the illness can vary but children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system are most at risk.
Rules surrounding the slaughter and jointing of animals are now much stricter and provide greater security for consumers, however risks still remain. Basic food hygiene legislation is designed to ensure that harmful bacteria such as E.coli from the gut and excrement of animals do not come into contact with other body parts suitable for consumption. While meat from British cattle justifiably represents some of the safest in the world, it remains important that consumers take measures to combat the growth of harmful bacteria in their own kitchens.
The Food Standards Agency estimates that 5.5million people in the UK suffer from food poisoning every year, with considerable knock-on effects in terms of the impact on the economy and the increased demand for NHS services. However, there are a number of simple measures that consumers can take to protect themselves and their families from harmful bacteria. Basic personal hygiene and hand washing before preparing food can prevent the spread of one of the biggest causes of food poisoning, the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus. Raw meat should always be stored at the bottom of the fridge to ensure that blood and juices do not drip on to ready-to-eat food.
All food establishments in Wales have to be inspected by environmental health officers to ensure that the food outlet is complying with food hygiene regulations. These businesses are given a score based on their compliance, however, these gradings are not made publically available. A pilot scheme called Scores on the Doors is being trialled in Swansea and Wrexham, whereby businesses advertise their hygiene grade on the door of the establishment, allowing consumers to make an informed choice. Transparency and competition is the way to drive up standards and encourage the small minority of offenders to raise their game or go out of business. Over two thirds of local authorities regularly publish this information in England, however, Wales is only now undergoing its first trial. The UK-wide website www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk where the information is published has proved popular with the public, receiving 500,000 hits per month.
The consequences of failing to comply with food hygiene regulations can be devastating and place a considerable burden on the Welsh NHS. The expansion of the Scores on the Doors scheme and greater awareness of the risks posed by bacteria such as E.coli would be considerable steps forward in the promotion of good health in Wales.