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Social functions such as barbecues and
dinner parties are the most common source of food poisoning
in the home.
The results of a study of food poisoning
trends between 1992 and 1999, show that although outbreaks
of gastrointestinal infection in the home continue to decline,
food remains the predominant transmitter of disease.
Researchers at the UK government's Public
Health Laboratory Service (PHLS), who conducted the study,
said the results show the risks of infection are highest
when people are catering for larger groups than usual.
Three out of four cases involved salmonella
and the most common foods implicated in the outbreaks were
poultry, desserts containing raw eggs and egg-based dishes.
Contamination
usually occurred through inappropriate storage, inadequate
cooking and the accidental transfer of bacteria in the kitchen.
However, the number of outbreaks linked
with home infection dropped from around 45 to 25 a year between
1992 and 1999.
British
Medical Journal 2001;323:1097-1098
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