Vegetables: best served washed

Monday 5 December 2011

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Northern Ireland has today launched a new campaign reminding people to wash raw vegetables to help minimise the risk of food poisoning. The focus of the campaign is to reinforce existing food safety advice about storage, handling and cooking of food, including raw vegetables.

The campaign is in response to E.coli outbreaks in Britain and abroad this year, including one linked to soil on raw vegetables and another caused by contaminated sprouted seeds.

Michael Jackson, Head of Food Safety and Operations at the FSA in Northern Ireland, said: 'Our previous campaigns have highlighted the risks associated with preparing raw meat and poultry. However, recent E.coli outbreaks linked with vegetables and sprouted seeds have shown that handling fresh produce, particularly if it carries particles of soil, can spread harmful bacteria.

'We commissioned research following these outbreaks which looked at people’s attitudes towards food safety when preparing vegetables. This showed us that the perceived risk of food poisoning from vegetables was low, whereas most people questioned were more cautious when handling meat. There was a limited awareness that cross-contamination from vegetables to other foods was a food safety risk. The aim of this campaign is to help raise awareness of this risk.'

The campaign messages include:

• Always wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw food, including vegetables
• Keep raw foods, including vegetables, separate from ready-to-eat foods
• Use different chopping boards, knives and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or wash thoroughly in between preparing different foods
• Unless packaging around vegetables says 'ready-to-eat' you must wash, peel or cook them before consuming

Martin Higgins, Chief Executive of safefood, added: 'We welcome this campaign as it reminds people of the need to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen and the simple steps they can take to achieve that. By making a clean break when preparing raw vegetables, meat and poultry, consumers can play their part in preventing the spread of unseen germs and so reduce the risks of food poisoning at home. safefood works closely with colleagues in the Food Standards Agency on a wide range of areas relating to food safety and nutrition and fully supports this campaign.'

The campaign will be heard on radio stations and seen in newspapers across Northern Ireland for two weeks from 5 December and a further two weeks in the New Year from 2 January 2012.