Health: Italy second in the EU on food poisoning - ANSA.it

(ANSAmed) – MILAN, June 13 – In Europe, 40,000 people each year contracted food poisoning, a problem that is exacerbated in the summer, with the arrival of warm when the risks increase. It informs the Observatory Nutritional Grana Padano, according to which in 2011 there were 5648 outbreaks of food-borne, compared to 5276 in 2010.

Italy and ‘in second place among EU states, by number of outbreaks ( 908) reported (data from EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority). These syndromes caused by the ingestion of food contaminated with toxic or pathogenic micro-organisms, which are manifested by various symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, rash, weight loss, dehydration) and are mainly caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites.

View the incidence of the phenomenon, experts have analyzed what ‘they eat more’ Italians often in the summer: fresh cheese and ice cream, usually cold dishes, quick to prepare and do not require cooking, such as carpaccio of beef and raw fish.

” But cooked foods are more ‘safe – explains Michela Barichella, Director of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition at the Institutes Clinical Improvement of Milan -’ cause the majority of microorganisms and toxins can not resist to temperatures higher than 60-70 degrees; great importance are the conditions in which the foods are maintained during the various stages of preservation: the cold chain, for example, prevents the development and multiplication of microorganisms.”

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the main sources of epidemics are caused by eggs, fish and dairy products. If you have fallen in recent years cases of Salmonella have increased those of Escherichia coli associated with the consumption of undercooked meat, unpasteurised milk and cheese.

In cattle, sheep and goats, these toxins may be present in the intestine and during milking and slaughter can contaminate both the meat both milk.

For this reason the intake of raw milk, raw or undercooked meat, especially ground (eg hamburgers cooked or raw beef tartare) can ’cause infection.

” An’ other route of transmission – – and explains Barichella ‘represented by direct contact with feces bearing animals, for example by consuming plants which are not thoroughly washed or which has been contaminated by flies.” (ANSA).