The FSA Foodborne Disease Strategy 2010-15 (Wales)

Foodborne disease is a major cause of illness in the UK population and imposes a significant burden on patients and the economy. It is estimated that in the UK in 2007 around a million people suffered a foodborne illness, which led to 20,000 receiving hospital treatment and 500 deaths, at a total annual cost of nearly £1.5 billion (please see link below).

Since its inception in 2000, the reduction of foodborne disease has been one of the FSA's key objectives in ensuring food safety. A Foodborne Disease Strategy (FDS) to achieve this was established in 2001 (please see link below). A considerable (19.2%) reduction had been achieved by 2005 and a revised FDS for 2005-2010 aimed to reduce foodborne disease further (please see link below). However, there has been little significant change in the level of UK foodborne disease since 2005 and the cost and burden due to foodborne disease in the UK remain unacceptably high. Much of the current burden of foodborne illness could be avoided or prevented and there remains scope for further actions across the food chain to significantly reduce the level of disease and its impact on public health.

The FSA's Strategy 2010-15 confirms the reduction of foodborne disease to be a priority in ensuring that food produced and sold in the UK is safe to eat. We have prioritised the key pathogens that can have greatest impact on delivering this outcome to produce a revised FDS for 2010-15. We will take a targeted approach to their control and reduction, which should lead to a reduction in the overall burden of UK foodborne disease.

Success in reducing UK foodborne disease would bring significant benefits. For example, each 1% reduction in overall incidence would mean around 10,000 fewer cases each year, and the associated reduction in personal pain and inconvenience, absences from the workplace and reduced demand on healthcare services, would represent an economic saving of around £15 million (please see link below).

We have been working to reduce UK foodborne disease since the Food Standards Agency was formed in 2000. Through this work we have extended the science and evidence base about the nature and control of foodborne disease in the UK. We have also developed, implemented and evaluated a wide range of actions and interventions in pursuit of reducing foodborne illness and its sources, across the food chain.

Although these actions and interventions have resulted in a number of significant advances (in the scientific understanding, technical know-how and awareness and understanding among consumers and food industry workers), this has not been accompanied by a significant and sustained reduction in the number of cases of foodborne illness that still occur each year.

To address this issue, it is proposed that the FSA will continue to support commodity specific measures to improve the safety of different foodstuffs across the food chain and combine this with a more targeted approach to reducing levels of specific foodborne pathogens to deliver the greatest public health gains. Available evidence, including our food chain analysis project (please see link below), has enabled us to identify those key pathogens where tailored risk management programmes (as outlined below) can be used to focus effort and identify appropriate intervention points to produce a decrease in contamination levels and, thereby, disease rates in the UK population.

We propose to develop specific risk management programmes that aim to reduce the levels and severity of disease caused by those pathogens identified as causing the greatest burden of disease. In addition to our work to reduce the levels of disease caused by specific pathogens, we will continue to work to decrease foodborne disease through better understanding and use of safety messages through a refreshed food hygiene campaign.

The FDS 2010-15 proposes to concentrate on reducing foodborne illness risks from food production and preparation in the UK that can be addressed by a focused UK-wide programme of action.

It is not envisaged that the FDS will include work to reduce risks from foods originating from non-EU countries (third countries) at the pre-import stage, as this will be covered by others within the Agency working to deliver the strategic plan outcome that “Imported food is safe to eat”. The main priorities for that work are to work internationally to reduce risks from food originating outside the EU and to ensure risk-based, targeted official controls. Nonetheless, the Strategy will maintain close contact with these activities to ensure any cross-cutting issues can be
identified and, where applicable, taken into account by the Strategy.

The key features of the Foodborne Disease Strategy 2010-15 are:

Key proposal(s):

• to develop and implement a Risk Management Programme to reduce campylobacter in chicken. This will include working in partnership with industry, retailers and other stakeholders to review existing evidence and effective interventions available to reduce campylobacter in chicken, and developing a target for the reduction in levels of campylobacter in raw chicken at retail by December 2010, to be achieved by April 2015.
• To develop a Risk Management Programme for listeria, that will undertake risk assessment and, where necessary, new research to increase understanding of the risks and drivers of listeriosis in the UK by March 2013, then draw up and implement an action plan based on the findings by 2015.
• To develop programmes for control of other significant foodborne pathogens by March 2011.
• To refresh food hygiene campaign activities to support Strategy objectives by the end of 2010, improve domestic food safety culture (awareness and behaviour) and achieve long-term behaviour change by consumers.
• To map and analyse Strategy stakeholders and pro-actively engage with key stakeholders to assist achievement of the Strategy vision and objectives.
• To carry out research to provide a sound evidence base upon which risks and actions can be assessed and Strategy activity can be planned and implemented, as required.

The draft Strategy was considered by the FSA Board at its meeting on 11 May 2010 (please see link below).

It is not expected that separate programmes within the Strategy will be subject to full formal public consultation in the same way as the Strategy itself but the plans for these programmes will be discussed with a range of stakeholders that are appropriate to the subject of each programme, such as government-industry liaison groups.

Questions asked in this consultation:

1. Whether, in your view, the overall approach described (i.e. pathogenspecific action, rather than commodity-focused) is the most appropriate to achieve the intended outcome? If not, please explain briefly your reasoning.
2. Whether we have prioritised for action the pathogens that, if the strategy is successful, will lead to the greatest reduction in the incidence and burden of UK foodborne disease? Do you agree these are the right priorities?
3. Whether, in your view, it is likely that successful achievement of the objectives described in the Strategy will deliver a significant reduction in UK human foodborne disease? If not, please explain briefly your reasoning.

We would welcome comments and views on these questions from all stakeholders with an interest in the safety of food produced and consumed in the UK, in particular from food producers, food processors, retailers, consumers and others who would be able to contribute to the Strategy's work.

Responses are required by close 2 September 2010. Please state, in your response, whether you are responding as a private individual or on behalf of an organisation/company (including details of any stakeholders your organisation represents).

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

Consultation feedback questionnaire (Word)

Consultation feedback questionnaire (pdf)

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness our Information Centre at Aviation House will hold a copy of the completed consultation. The FSA will publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name. Disclosure of any other personal data would be made only upon request for the full consultation responses. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Data protection form (Word)

Data protection form (pdf)

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator by email: consultationcoordinator@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk