Over 700 people fell victim to food-poisoning last year, data released by the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department shows.
And this is considered to be just the tip of the iceberg because a good number of people who fall ill do not see a doctor and the health authorities are not informed.
According to the figures, last year there were 257 individual cases of food poisoning - 56 more than the number reported in 2006.
Last year, the department was also notified of 79 outbreaks affecting 463 people. The highest percentage of these - 29 per cent - took place in restaurants, followed by hotels and households. The health authorities are urging people to be vigilant and take all the necessary precautions when handling food and to report any bad practices.
As part of the first Maltese Food Safety Week, which kicked off on Wednesday with the aim of raising awareness and informing the Maltese people about food hygiene and food safety in the home, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department has prepared a 28-page booklet informing people about good practices. The campaign is financed by the European Food Safety Authority and includes a number of adverts on both television and radio.
Department head Charmaine Gauci pointed out that, although people generally associated food-borne diseases with eating out, the cases of food poisoning in the home are on the increase.
In fact, statistics for last year show that 11 per cent of outbreaks, where more than one person got food poisoning from the same source, originated in the home. Restaurants, Environmental Health Department director John Attard Kingswell said, are regularly inspected and the authorities have the right to close down premises which pose a risk to public health.
But the same could not be said for households, where people still need to be careful not to put themselves or their families at risk.
Epidemiologist Anthony Gatt said there are a number of people who take unnecessary risks. Dr Gatt said he recently came across a person who bought a piece of chicken from a take-away outlet, realised it was not properly cooked but still ate it.
Food poisoning could lead to complications, especially among children, the elderly, pregnant women and those whose immune system is compromised.
The department has contacted local councils to give talks about the importance of food safety within the community, nutritionist Lucienne Pace said. The public can contact the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department on 2326 6000 for more information or to get a copy of the informative booklet.
Food safety tips
• Food safety revolves around four basic principles: Cleanliness, proper cooking and cooling and avoiding cross contamination.
• Hot foods need to be kept above 63°C and cold foods below 5°C.
• Proper and regular hand washing with warm soapy water is imperative.
• Kitchen surfaces should be cleaned regularly with warm, soapy water.
• Fresh vegetables should not be cut on a chopping board that has been used to cut raw meat.
• Fridges and freezers should not be overloaded as this will not allow the cold air to circulate properly. The fridge should be kept at a temperature of not more than 4°C while the freezer should be kept at -18 °C or cooler.