Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 4

Written Answers. - Food Poisoning Incidence.

Batt O'Keeffe

Ceist:

82 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of food poisoning cases reported to his Department over the past three years; his views on the dramatic increase in 2000; and the action, if any, proposed in this regard. [8700/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

Under the provisions of the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 1981, a number of categories of food poisoning are statutorily notifiable by medical practitioners to the health boards. The health boards, in turn, make weekly returns of infectious disease notifications to my Department. The number of cases of notifiable foodborne infectious diseases notified by the health boards to my Department for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 is as follows:

Infectious Disease	1997	1998	1999
Food Poisoning (bacterial other than salmonella)	448	1,235	1,673
Salmonellosis (other than typhoid or paratyphoid)	958	1,261	962
Bacillary Dysentery	41	120	116
Gastro Enteritis (when contracted by children under 2 years of age)	2,968	3,483	2,917

Details of the notifications received to 24 March 2000 and for the equivalent reporting period in 1999 (1 January-19 March 1999), are as follows:

Infectious Disease	2000 (to 24March 2000)	1999
Food Poisoning (bacterial other than salmonella)	364	250
Salmonellosis (other than typhoid or paratyphoid)	160	115
Bacillary Dysentery	7	12
Gastro Enteritis (when contracted by children under 2 years of age)	634	888

Both globally and in Ireland there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of reported cases of food poisoning and this is likely to increase in coming years rather than decrease.

In Ireland, there are several reasons for the increase. First, there is improved food-borne disease surveillance being carried out by the health boards, in co-operation with the National Disease Surveillance Centre and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

Second, there is an increased consumer awareness of food poisoning which is due to the focused campaigns carried out by public health departments of the health boards, the food unit and the health promotion unit of my Department and by the FSAI.

Third, a change in the lifestyle of Irish consumers has led to an increase in the market for convenience foods which has resulted in the rapid expansion of fast food outlets. Some staff working in this area are untrained and inexperienced in food hygiene practices. While the responsibility for good hygiene practices rests firmly on the owners of these food businesses it is imperative that employees know the causes of food poisoning and what they must do to prevent it.

The FSAI, which was in existence on a non-statutory basis since 1997, was formally established by this Government in January 1999. In July last year the FSAI took over responsibility for the enforcement of all food safety legislation which, prior to that date, had been the responsibility of a range of State agencies. The primary function of the FSAI is to ensure that food produced or marketed in Ireland meets the highest standards of food safety and hygiene. The FSAI also has a statutory function to foster at all stages of food production, from primary production through to final use by the consumer, the establishment and maintenance of high standards of food hygiene and safety. In this context, it places great emphasis on the creation of a culture of food safety in Ireland. In this regard, we must be conscious that the responsibility for food safety lies at all levels, producer, retailer and consumer. While it is not possible to completely prevent food poisoning, the work of the FSAI should help to minimise its incidence in the future by developing a food safety culture and I am satisfied with its work to date.