Cutbacks put public health at risk of E.coli, warn experts

Another serious outbreak of Escherichia coli (E.coli) is waiting to happen, because financial cutbacks are leaching resources from microbiological food safety controls and checks, according to experts.

Many local authorities consider food safety inspections a 'Cinderella' part of their responsibilities, according to comments made at the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) recent board meeting in London. And food safety experts working in the industry report that cut-backs by food businesses, which are responsible for providing safe food, are also putting consumer safety at risk.

One expert industry source described existing supply chain food safety procedures as "not fit for purpose". The source went on to describe food safety assurance schemes in the industry as offering a "season ticket to trade, rather than a robust assurance of ongoing food safety performance". The source added: "Solutions are available to differentiate businesses, but there is currently no mechanism to recognise their investment; hence no incentive to improve. Something fundamentally different is required!"

The largest outbreak of E.coli in Wales in 2005 resulted in 118 confirmed food poisoning cases and the death of a five-year-old boy. John Spence, FSA Board member for Wales and chair of the Wales Food Advisory Committee, expressed serious concerns about the priorities that local authorities give to food safety. He was responding to professor Hugh Pennington's report into the 2005 outbreak. He also voiced fears that a third E.coli outbreak and public inquiry could follow those already conducted by the eminent microbiologist Pennington into the outbreaks in Scotland in 1996 and Wales in 2005.

"This [food safety inspection] is regarded as a Cinderella service in most local authorities and one which is either starved of resources or is seen as an easy target when competing for resources," said Spence. "There is real fear that there will be a Pennington three."

Another Board member, Chris Pomfret, warned of the danger of an already under-resourced "Cinderella service" coming under further pressure as budgets were put under scrutiny and cut. "Whatever decisions we make they have got to be put against that context, because the bottom line is that it is people's lives we are dealing with."

Food safety controls had been tightened since the E.Coli outbreak in 2005, claimed the FSA board. It agreed to a further programme of work to address serious deficiencies identified by Pennington, particularly around the areas of hazard analysis critical control point procedures and the auditing of food businesses.