Thought for food

A series of stories about severe food poisoning from salmonella-infected eggs hit the headlines this summer. The helpline of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) started to hop. Consumers were alarmed. What was going wrong? Were they in danger? Was it safe to eat eggs in restaurants any more.

This high-profile food story was just one in a series of cases in recent years. As a result, the FSAI, which has been set up in response to a need to protect the public's health, is charged with promoting and encouraging high standards of food safety and hygiene at all stages of the food chain.

It's already planning a series of initiatives to raise public awareness and to educate and inform the food industry. Its latest intiative is a food centre in Lower Abbey Street, Dublin. Food is the focus at the centre. Anyone who wants to learn about food hygiene and safety can just walk right in.

Fridges and freezers, food pyramids, titbits of information, sheaves of leaflets and video displays . . . this is just a taste of what's on offer.

The centre aims to educate consumers about food. By next spring, the FSAI hopes to have a mobile unit which will travel around the country to schools, supermarkets and offices spreading the word about food hygiene. The new centre is to be the hub of the authority's education and training unit. Dr Patrick Wall, FSAI chief executive, explains that the aim is also to educate those working in industry. "At the end of the day the onus is on industry to ensure that staff are trained and aware of the dangers. Ignorance is no excuse."

However, he explains, the authority's role is not to police the industry to produce safe food. "Any policing work that we do is very peripheral. What we want to do is develop a food safety culture in Ireland. It's about basic hygiene."

During the summer one of the gaps in this awareness was highlighted by the outbreak of salmonella in eggs. "However," says Wall, "the industry is responding. The onus is on them to ensure that their practices are right."

The authority also produces a range of leaflets on how to prevent food poisoning and other illnesses relating to food storage. They include leaflets on how to make a complaint about food, understanding food labels and how to use fridges and freezers. Other colourful leaflets include food safety information on eating out, microwaves, shopping, eating outdoors, in the home, at school and work.

"Food poisoning can be very serious," says Wall. "These leaflets are the first step in our programme to educate consumers on safety, quality and hygiene relating to food, and thereby reduce the incidence of food related illnesses.

"We can't be complacent. What may be a mild short-lived illness for robust young adults could be life threatening to infants, pregnant women, the elderly or people who have other illnesses."

The centre welcomes visits by teachers and students. Patricia Rhyll, a home economics teacher, is available at the FSAI to liaise with teachers who want to arrange class visits.

A number of special exhibits and activities will be hosted by the FSAI during Science Week - from Sunday, November 1st, to Sunday, November 8th. Booking in advance is advisable.

The FSAI provides a food safety helpline at 1800 33 66 77, a website at http:/www.fsai.ie and an information page on Aertel teletext (page 667).