New figures released by the EFSA show that infection by bacteria and viruses remains a risk to the food industry, with a slowdown in progress against the problem across the EU – but Irish factories come out well from the results.

There were over 5,000 outbreaks of diseases caused by food and drink contamination in the EU affecting 43,000 people in 2017, 33 of whom died.

Of these, just 24 outbreaks took place in Ireland, none of them fatal.

This places Ireland among some of the lowest-incidence European countries, with 0.5 outbreaks per 100,000 population.

Salmonella

One of the main threats to Europe's food industry in salmonella, which was in decline since 2008, but progress has now "stalled in recent years", the EFSA reported.

Listeria also poses a risk and the number of Europeans contaminated through food and drink increased last year.

Ireland was among six EU countries reporting human cases of listeriosis last year, with one person affected here.

E coli is another type of bacteria monitored across Europe.

Nearly half of disease outbreaks with a food or drink source identified in Ireland were caused by E coli contamination of private water wells.

The Irish beef industry is the most active at testing its products for E coli, with half of all beef tests reported to the EFSA coming from Ireland.

These bacteria and other sources of infection tracked in Europe are most commonly introduced into food in household kitchens.

Meat, dairy products and eggs are most at risk of contamination.

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