The microbiological safety of food : report of the Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food to the Secretary of State for Health, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

This report on the microbiological safety of food was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health to report on specific questions relating to the increasing incidence of microbiological illnesses of food-borne origin, particularly from salmonella, listeria and campylobacteria, to establish whether this is linked to changes in agriculture and food production, food technology and distribution, retailing, catering and food handling in the home and to recommend action where appropriate.

Part one of the report covers the epidemiological data, the PHLS and VIS systems for epidemiological surveillance, and in particular the arrangements for central collation and review of the data, arrangements for handling outbreaks of food-borne illness, the way food is surveyed at present, the production of raw poultry meat up to the end of the slaughter process, the manufacturing processes, particularly as applied to meat and dairy products, and legislative matters. Part two will include a report on the situation in Scotland and Northern Ireland, retailing, catering and the home, training, research, eggs, milk and dairy products, fish and shellfish and red meat, clostridium botulinum and any other relevant pathogens.