TV ads spell out food hygiene risks

Wednesday 13 February 2002

A TV advertising campaign showing how easily food poisoning bugs can spread is being launched as part of the Food Standards Agency hygiene campaign.

The 40-second ad, which feature a specially-recorded version of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang song Truly Scrumptions, focuses on handwashing and use ultra-violet light to show easily food bugs such as salmonella and Ecoli can spread. A 20-second version will replace it from March 3, running until April 14.

The advertisements form part of the Agency's £20m campaign, launched on February 11 2002, aimed at raising hygiene standards in catering businesses across the UK. Similar adverts will run in the press.

The campaign, set to run for five years, aims to reduce incidence of food poisoning by 20% by 2006.

Each year the FSA publishes a consumer attitudes survey. The 2001 survey, published on the day as the campaign launch, revealed that 12% of all UK consumers said they had food poisoning in the last year.

Almost three-quarters of them - approximately 4.2 million - believed their foodborne illness was caused by food prepared out of the home.