22-Jan-2025
Underestimated risk: Germs in the kitchen
BfR Federal Institute for Risk AssessmentReports and Proceedings
Every year, over 100,000 illnesses are reported in Germany that may have been caused by microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or parasites in food. The number of unreported cases is even higher. In consumer surveys on everyday health risks, however, comparatively few people mention kitchen hygiene and the associated illnesses as a serious problem. In the most recent BfR consumer monitor, for example, only 17 per cent of respondents said they were concerned about the issue. In contrast, the level of concern about microplastics (68 per cent) and residues of plant protection products in food (52 per cent) is significantly higher. "Most people assume that they themselves do not make mistakes in their own kitchen, but that the mistakes are produced by others," explains hygiene expert Dr Heidi Wichmann-Schauer in the new episode of "Risko" - the science podcast from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Small negligence in everyday life can quickly transfer pathogens to food, which can then cause serious illnesses and can even be fatal, especially for especially vulnerable people.