People in Germany often eat raw or unheated food and are not fully aware of the related risks, according to a survey.
Findings come from a special edition of the consumer monitor by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) that focused on raw foods.
“The health risks of raw foods are often underestimated. Diseases can be avoided with simple kitchen hygiene rules. Sensitive groups of people in particular should only eat raw animal food that has been sufficiently heated,” said Andreas Hensel, BfR president.
The survey of 1,004 people in September 2022 aimed to find out which food groups are eaten raw and how often, how Germans assessed their benefits and health risks, and which pathogens are associated with which foods.
Many respondents did not feel well informed about the health risk of raw flour but more people were comfortable with hygiene recommendations and storage advice for raw food.
FoodWorld 