Food poisoning ‘Russian roulette’ as more Brits in hospital for three illnesses

06 March 2024 , 12:36

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Salmonella is a bacterium that causes food poisoning in humans (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Brits have been sent a horror warning as hospital admissions for three common illnesses linked to food poisoning reached their highest level in decades.

Admissions for salmonella infections reached 1,468 in England between April 2022 and March 2023, a rate of three admissions for every 100,000 people, an all-time high, NHS data shared by the Guardian shows. E coli and campylobacter have also broken records for reaching all-time highs in the past two years. Hospital admissions for campylobacter, an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter, reached more than 4,340, a rate of nine in 100,000 people in 2023, up from three in 100,000 in 2000.

Experts said the cause of the increase stems from weakening regulatory focus, a weakening of standards in importation checks post-Brexit and local authority cuts; while the UK food standards authority links the cause to improved detection.

Aside from the pandemic years, admissions for salmonella reached the lowest point 10 years ago, registering 834 annual admissions in 2013. Ten years later, NHS data shows that the number is 76% higher. Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City University, said to the Guardian it was no surprise and there would be more cases "until the British public wakes up and says it is not acceptable." He added they should ask: "Why should I play Russian roulette with food?"

In 2023, 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 at the time it was in discussions with officials in Poland and the EU to ensure all necessary steps were taken to improve the safety of poultry and eggs imported from Poland. They also wanted Brits to be careful when handling and cooking poultry products at home. James Mottershead, NFU poultry board chair, said it was "deeply concerning" to hear that "poultry products produced outside the UK are being imported from countries where salmonella cases are on the rise."

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Lang also said local hygiene officers had had budget cuts, as well as the FSA. He continued: "We also left the European Union, whose structure has a huge focus on inspection and quality control." The NHS states that Food poisoning is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs. This can happen if food is not cooked or reheated thoroughly, is not stored correctly, is left out for too long, is handled by someone who's ill or has not washed their hands or is eaten after its "use by" date.

Rachel Hagan