‘More E coli cases in UK likely’ amid environmental health staff shortage
GuardianJUN 2024
UK Food Poisoning Cases Hit Decade High in 2024
Above: A lady looks at bananas for sale at a Tesco store in Cambridge, U.K., on Feb. 4, 2025. Image copyright: David Tramontan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The UK's record salmonella cases are no coincidence — they reflect years of underfunding environmental health oversight and a sharp rise in raw milk consumption. Without enough inspectors on the ground and with risky unpasteurized products on the rise, the system is cracking.
Narrative B
Blaming raw milk for rising foodborne illness is a scapegoat. The real issue lies in systemic vulnerabilities, like cyberattacks that paralyze chilled food distribution. When hackers freeze supply chains, food spoils. That's a tech and infrastructure failure, not a dairy one.