The Food Standards Agency is to target the catering sector in an
attempt to cut incidents of food poisoning by 20 per cent over the next
five years.
An initial six-month PR campaign will start in the new year to
communicate with the UK's estimated 350,000 eateries on the importance
of food hygiene.
PR will be co-ordinated by the FSA's in-house team, headed by comms
director Neil Martinson and carried out by Countrywide Porter
Novelli.
CPN is tasked with communicating to caterers and through both the trade,
mainstream and ethnic media.
Martinson said following the campaign the FSA will evaluate its
effectiveness before reaching a decision on future campaigns.
GPs treat 4.5m incidents of food poisoning each year, 150 of which are
fatal.
The FSA has also hired The Red Consultancy to promote its relaunched
website.
Martinson said the site aims to better communicate with consumers and
features an online nutritionist.
