World food poisoning threat warning
Food poisoning linked to the continuing globalisation of the industry is a growing threat, the international Food Micro 2008 conference in Aberdeen has been told.
Professor Gadi Frankel, from Imperial College, warned that a greater understanding of how salads in particular are contaminated by salmonella is important because such cases are "likely to rise".
He said recent outbreaks could specifically be related to pre-packed salads, including one in the UK last year traced to imported basil, and an E.coli outbreak in the US in 2006 traced to pre-packed baby spinach.
He said: "People are eating more salad products, choosing to buy organic brands and preferring the ease of pre-washed bagged salads from supermarkets than ever before.
"All of these factors, together with the globalisation of the food market, mean that cases of salmonella and E.coli poisoning caused by salads are likely to rise in the future."
He added: "There are many kinds of salad bags being marketed as washed and ready-to-eat. People should be aware of the risks so they can make informed decisions."
Salmonella and E.coli live in the guts of cows and and the egg-ducts of chickens, and contamination of meat can occur during slaughtering.
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