South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 11/06/2013

The council is lending its support to the campaign to encourage improved food safety in the home. The Kitchen Check survey asks people to look at their own food preparation practices and will give them a score and some helpful tips. To take the Kitchen Check visit www.food.gov.uk/kitchen-check

A survey carried out on behalf of the FSA found many people are putting their health at risk when cooking at home. 81 per cent* of those asked in South Gloucestershire admitted to one or more habits that increase their risk of getting food poisoning, such as eating food that has been dropped on the floor or not washing their hands properly before preparing food. There are more than a million cases of food poisoning in the UK each year, including 20,000 hospitalisations and 500 deaths.

Diane Foster, Environmental Services Project Officer at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “This year’s theme Kitchen Check looks at food safety in the home and we want South Gloucestershire residents to think about the way they prepare and handle food. This fun FSA survey is a great way to look at our kitchen habits and receive tips on how to be more hygienic at home.”

Bob Martin, food safety expert at the Food Standards Agency, added: “By not washing their hands before preparing food at home, or ignoring ‘use by’ dates, people could be setting themselves and their friends or family up for a bout of really unpleasant illness. It’s encouraging though to see that the majority of people are concerned about food safety. We’ve created the Kitchen Check to help people to think about what they do in their own homes and make it easier for people to be knowledgeable and confident about storing and preparing food.”

* The national survey was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of the Food Standards Agency between Monday 3 May and Thursday 9 May 2013. A total of 2,199 UK respondents took part, including 236 in South Gloucestershire.