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It’s important that the Agency’s initiatives are not only based on sound science and evidence, but also that we take the time to stop and evaluate what we have done and just how successful it has been before moving on. 

In 2001, the Agency set itself a target to reduce UK foodborne disease by 20% by 2006.  We researched the most robust way to measure how well we were meeting the target (the annual number of laboratory-reported cases of the five key bacterial pathogens) and, through consultation with stakeholders, we developed and published a farm-to-fork strategy to achieve this target.

When we assessed our progress in 2006, we found that between 2000 and 2005, the number of cases had reduced by more than 19%. 

Our Board felt this was an excellent result and that the strategy’s work had contributed to a significant reduction in foodborne disease in the UK.  However, this did not tell us which interventions had the greatest impact in reducing foodborne disease. 

This week we held a workshop near Cambridge where 65 experts in epidemiology and microbiology mixed with representatives from primary (farm) production, processing and retailing sectors and FSA staff. We spent two days examining what progress had been made, whether the initiatives and approaches used had been successful, what significant issues remain and how these should be addressed.

The workshop identified notable successes in several areas including meat and poultry hygiene, food safety management and publicity of good food hygiene practices.  However, it also highlighted that a large number of cases caused by campylobacter and salmonella still occur each year and that listeriosis, which although relatively rare does cause severe illness, is now twice as common as it was in 2000, and we are not yet sure exactly why. 

So yes, so far so good. But significant challenges remain to reduce foodborne disease further by continuing to make use of the effective and successful approaches already used, and by continuing to work in close partnership with industry and our other stakeholders.

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