School children will be FSA soap stars

Tuesday 2 October 2001

Primary schools across Wales will be 'cleaning up' next week as the Food Standards Agency Wales distributes 10,000 bars of soap in a bid to encourage pupils to adopt a healthy attitude to hand washing.

Last year some 4,600 cases of food-related illnesses were reported in Wales. Although these instances are generally under reported, evidence suggests that many could have been prevented by the implementation of simple food hygiene measures. Children are particularly susceptible to food poisoning, and while most will not be cooking on a regular basis, it is important to stress the importance of washing hands after going to the toilet or handling pets.

To ensure that the message lasts beyond the life of the soap. the FSA will also be providing explanatory posters to be displayed in classrooms and wash rooms. Schools can also visit the FSA�s website for top tips on food safety, or contact the FSA Wales direct for further information on its work in schools.

Helen George is co-ordinating the distribution of the soap and posters. She said: "This forms part of our strategy to bring the food safety message into schools. Simple hand washing can go a long way towards minimising the risk of food related illness, and I hope that each school finds our small supply of soaps and posters useful."

Further information on good food hygiene and the FSA's top ten tips can be found on this web site.

News contact: Kathryn Corcoran (029) 2067 8915

Notes to editors

• The Food Standards Agency was set up in April last year and its Welsh Executive is accountable both to Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales.
• The FSA will protect the interest of consumers by protecting three core values:
  • put the consumer first;
  • be open and accessible; and
  • be an independent voice.

• Its functions are to:
  • Provide advice to the public and the Government on food safety, nutrition and diet;
  • Protect consumers through effective enforcement and monitoring;
  • Support consumer choice through accurate and meaningful labelling.

ENDS