The Recent E.Coli Outbreak in UK 2024
The aim of this article is to raise awareness of the importance of the food safety E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet. If you are a caterer or retailer, then read on to learn what you must know in 2024 about E.coli and the essential E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet.
In the UK, as of July 2024, the number of confirmed cases in the recent E. coli outbreak has risen to 288. The cases were distributed as follows: 191 in England, 62 in Scotland, 31 in Wales, and 4 in Northern Ireland.
Over 120 people have been hospitalised. There has been one death linked to the outbreak.
The UK Health Security Agency identified pre-packaged sandwiches, wraps, and salad products containing lettuce as the source of the contamination. Lettuce was likely contaminated through the use of polluted water during growth, harvesting, or processing stages.
The incident has highlighted weaknesses in the food supply chain. It reminds us of the need for rigorous food safety management practices at ALL levels where food is produced, processed, distributed, sourced, and consumed.
Which Foods Were Suspected & Recalled?
Throughout June, three companies recalled food products due to a potential link to the E.coli outbreak. The companies were Greencore Group, who issued a product recall on 14 June, closely followed by Samworth Brothers Manton Wood and THIS!.
The products recalled by Greencore included sandwiches, wraps and salads sold at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op and Boots. Samworth Brothers Manton Wood recalled various Tesco and One Stop sandwiches and wraps. THIS! requested that customers return its vegan chicken and bacon wraps, which were only available at WH Smith.
The financial cost of product recalls can be staggering. Legal action has been started against Asda and Tesco. More civil action is likely to follow.
What Was The Source of the Contamination?
The contaminated products were traced back to prepackaged food items supplied by a major food processor and distributed through multiple supermarket chains.
It highlights the need for:
– food safety rules to be followed by all businesses throughout the supply chain.
– rigorous food safety management at all levels
– monitoring by enforcement officers to ensure food laws are being complied with.
Are Incidents of E.coli Becoming More Common?
In the UK in recent months, there has been a notable rise in cases of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Public health agencies are actively investigating and monitoring to understand why these outbreaks are occurring.
This upward trend is not isolated to the UK. Globally, E. coli outbreaks are occurring elsewhere. For example, Alberta, Canada had an outbreak of Shiga toxin in the Autumn 2023. There were 356 cases; 23 were severe and required dialysis; 39 were hospitalised. No deaths were attributed to the outbreak.
E.coli contamination came from a kitchen facility that supplied food to children’s daycare facilities. Fueling Minds, the Company responsible for the source of the outbreak was charged by the City of Calgary for operating without a business license. The kitchen was providing meal services to schools, and this was beyond the scope of their current food license. A class-action lawsuit was filed against the company on behalf of those affected by the outbreak. It demonstrates the serious consequences for any food business, and the importance of taking the implications of food poisoning from E.coli seriously.
What is E.coli And Why Is It So Dangerous?
E. coli stands for Escherichia coli, a zoonotic pathogen. This means that harmful bacteria can be passed between humans and animals. Pathogenic bacteria can cause life threatening ill health (such as bloody diarrhoea and kidney failure) or even death from food poisoning. The strain of E. coli linked to the recent 2024 E.coli outbreak was identified as STEC O145. This strain produces a poisonous toxin (known as Shiga toxin).
This bacteria is known for its ability to cause outbreaks linked to contaminated food. E.coli is concerning because only a small number of harmful bacteria are needed to cause infection. Rigorous food safety measures are essential to prevent E.coli and to minimise the spread of infection.
Which Foods Are Commonly Associated With E.Coli Infection?
E.coli bacteria are naturally present in the intestines of humans and animals, especially ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep. Harmful bacteria can potentially contaminate meat during the slaughtering process at an abattoir, meat cutting plant, or butchers shop. Therefore, all raw meat should be considered to be contaminated, especially burgers, ground beef, sausages and minced meats.
E.coli can also be found in soil. This means that unwashed vegetables fruit and salad (e.g. lettuce) must be assumed to be contaminated.
How Does E.Coli Get Into The Body?
E.coli bacteria can be consumed from eating or drinking contaminated food (such as unpasteurised cheese or milk) or contaminated water. Bacteria picked up on hands after touching something contaminated in the environment can be transferred into the mouth.
How is E. coli spread?
E. coli is excreted from the body in faeces. Lack of handwashing or poor handwashing practice after going to the toilet can spread bacteria to other surfaces, equipment or onto food via the hands of a food handler.
E.coli can also be spread through touching infected animals. For example, a child could pick it up during a visit to a farm (from petting animals), or from touching contaminated surfaces where bacteria are present. Infection can also be spread from person to person contact.
Who is more at risk From E. coli Infection?
Anyone can pick up E.coli infection. However, some people are more susceptible to the illness. Vulnerable groups include young children, the elderly, and individuals with a weakened immune system (e.g. someone receiving medical treatment for an illness such as diabetes). Vulnerable groups of people need to take extra precautions to avoid exposure.
What are the Symptoms of E. coli Infection?
E. coli symptoms typically begin 3 to 4 days after exposure, known as the onset time, though they can appear as soon as 1 day or as late as 1 week. Common E. coli symptoms include:
- Diarrhoea, ranging from mild and watery to severe and bloody,
- Stomach cramps, pain, or tenderness,
- Nausea and vomiting,
- More severe symptoms in vulnerable groups can cause infected people to have meningitis.
What Must Food Businesses Know About E.coli Infection?
During an inspection, the EHO will look to determine whether control measures from the E.coli Guidance (and the E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet) are being put into practice. If suitable and sufficient control measures are found to be lacking, the EHO can (if necessary) use its powers to serve an emergency hygiene prohibition notice. This could lead to a business closure.
What Is The E.coli Guidance?
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) first introduced the E. coli 0157 Cross-Contamination guidance and The E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet in 2011. This came as a result of the E.coli outbreak in 2005 in South Wales. The guidance was written to prevent further outbreaks of E.coli, to protect public health.
Control measures outlined in the guidance are intended to minimise cross-contamination during food preparation, handling and storage of food. Caterers and retailers are expected to embed these control measures into their day-to-day practices.
The problem is that there is a lack of knowledge about the E.coli Guidance and the E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet. This is especially the case with small and micro-businesses, including ethnic businesses in the catering and retail sectors.
Where Can I Find The E.coli Guidance?
The E.coli 0157 Cross-Contamination Guidance can be download free of charge from the Food Standard Agency website. You can find the link to the E.coli Guidance here.
The E.coli Guidance Document is almost 50 pages long! TLDR!!
Is there a simpler version of the E.coli Guidance? Yes, the Food Standards Agency provide a 7 page summary of the E.coli Guidance. It has been written in an easy to understand language. The document is known as the E.coli 0157 Cross-Contamination Caterers Fact Sheet. You can download the E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet from our resource library here.
What To Do Next?
You need to use the E.coli Guidance Fact Sheet to retrain all food handlers and improve their awareness on E.coli and the prevention control measures they need to know.
To help you to apply the information from the E.coli Guidance, we have written an additional article, outlining the practical steps you should take to embed the guidance into your business [Article coming soon].
You may also like to read our previous article: Top Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Food Safety Consultant.
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