New research published today by the Food Standards Agency gives the most detailed picture yet of how many people suffer from food poisoning in the UK every year and how much food poisoning can be attributed to different foods. Read full article from here:

Urgent recall issued as liquid food is linked to death of one newborn baby and blood poisoning in 14 others.

Stocks of a liquid food linked to the death of a newborn baby and blood poisoning in 14 others were sent to 22 hospitals, England's most senior public health official has revealed. Read full article from here:

A further four cases of the potentially fatal E.coli O157 have been linked to food sold at Glasgow's Hydro venue.

Health officials said there were now 11 cases linked to burgers consumed at events between 17 and 25 January. All are recovering at home. Read full account from here:

The Food Standards Agency, with Public Health England and local authorities, is  investigating an outbreak of a particular strain of salmonella, called  Salmonella Gold-coast, which is known to have caused 18 cases of illness.

The investigation has identified potential links between the outbreak and the consumption of whelks from independent shops, market stalls and mobile seafood vans, largely in the East Anglia area. As part of this investigation, Lynn  Shellfish Ltd of King’s Lynn (formally known as Heiploeg or Heiploeg and Lynn
Shrimpers) has issued a recall of all batches of frozen and chilled whelks. Read full article from here:

Ham from independent butchers’ shops is suspected to be the cause of a salmonella outbreak which has now affected more than 50 people.

 Investigators say the outbreak, which began in Gwynedd and Conwy, may be  linked to cooked ham supplied to small independent butchers in the area. 

An outbreak of an unusual type of salmonella infection, Salmonella Typhimurium, across England and Wales is being investigated by Public Health England, Public  Health Wales, the FSA and local authority environmental health officers.

A total of 21 confirmed cases in Wales and 30 in England have been reported, with 9 cases known to have required hospitalisation. Other potential cases are being investigated in both countries.

Following detection by the FSA of unusually high levels of toxins, various  shellfish harvesting sites in Scotland have been closed. These toxins, which  occur naturally, especially during the summer months, can cause acute food  poisoning.


  In addition, the FSA has been informed that approximately 70 people in south  east England have reported symptoms consistent with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (see 'Science behind the story' below). The vast majority of cases  occurred between 13 and 15 July.


The cases have been linked to the consumption of mussels originating from a particular harvesting area in Shetland, Scotland. After these mussels were  harvested, an unusually high toxin level was detected by the FSA’s weekly  monitoring programme. The area has been closed, and as a precautionary measure
the industry has voluntarily suspended all commercial harvesting from the waters  around Shetland until toxin levels subside.

 The business that supplied the shellfish, Shetland Mussels, has contacted its  customers and advised the FSA that all of the mussels from this batch have  either been consumed or disposed of. The local authority is investigating and  liaising closely with the FSA.


The mussels had been supplied to a number of restaurants, some through a  number of intermediary suppliers. Customers reported illness after eating at:  Belgo in Covent Garden, Holborn, Clapham and Bromley; Zero Degrees in Blackheath  and Reading; The Phoenix near Hook, Hampshire; Boulevard Brasserie in Covent  Garden; and Pig’s Ears in Richmond. These premises acted appropriately by
notifying the relevant authorities when the cases of illness were identified.
 
                 
Business responsibilities         
  
It is the legal responsibility of all food businesses to put in place  appropriate controls to ensure that only food safe for consumption is placed on  the market. The FSA is reminding all UK companies involved in the sale of  shellfish to ensure that biotoxin risks are taken into account in their food  safety management systems.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2013/jul/shellfish#.UfFI559wZjo

There are several different types of food poisoning in the UK, all with slightly different symptoms - and levels of severity.

 Some can start soon after the food involved was eaten. Others take several  days to take effect.

 While some forms of the illness clear up after a couple of days, others can linger for weeks and be carried in the body for months.

 Here is a guide to the five most common types of food poisoning in the UK, where they are most commonly caught and how to spot them from their  symptoms.


The main types of food poisoning in Britain

 Campylobacter 
Salmonella
E. Coli
Listeria
Viral food poisoning -  (SRVSs)


Read full article from here: :
 

Uncooked curry leaves in a chutney left more than 400 people who ate at a street food festival with diarrhoea and vomiting or  salmonella poisoning, health officials have found.

 The leaves were contaminated with several different bacteria, experts found, which led to 29 confirmed cases of salmonella at the Street Spice festival in Newcastle in February and March.

 An investigation by Public Health England (PHE) and Newcastle city council found 25 of the 29 cases had developed a strain of salmonella never found in people or food in Britain before.

 According to an official report, further laboratory analysis suggested other  organisms may also have caused illness including E  coli and shigella.


Some of the 413 affected were found to have more than one of these infections at the same time.

 No one will face prosecution because there was seen to be a lack of clear  advice about the dangers of using raw curry leaves in recipes, and in general hygiene levels at the three-day event were  good.

Please read full article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/19/chutney-street-festival-food-poisoning