Around 250 organisms are associated with causing food poisoning in the UK. Campylobacter spp, implicated in around 500,000 cases a year, is the most commonly identified food-borne pathogen with around four out of five cases associated with contaminated poultry, especially chicken.2,9

E. coli 0157 is considered the most important E. coli strain to cause illness in the UK, with symptoms ranging from mild gastroenteritis to severe bloody diarrhoea, through to potentially fatal blood disorders. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli 0157 (STEC) is also referred to as verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC).10,11

Other common causes of food poisoning with typical gastric symptoms are Clostridium perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. However, foodborne pathogens may have other symptoms, such as Clostridium botulinum which affects the central nervous system.3,9