UK Food Standards Agency Kicks Off Anti-Campylobacter Campaign
Noting that Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning at national level, UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched an aggressive campaign to engage the public in illness prevention. Coinciding with Food Safety Week in the UK, the FSA is urging citizens “to stop washing chicken before cooking it — a practice that can spread Campylobacter bacteria onto hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment through the splashing of water droplets.”
An April 2014 survey commissioned by the FSA found that in the UK levels of awareness of Campylobacter are well below that of other bacteria that cause food poisoning. More than 90% of the public have heard of Salmonella and E. coli, whereas only 28% of people know about Campylobacter.