A pilot study in France has pointed to a significant under-reporting of shellfish-related foodborne outbreaks.
The objectives of the research were to quantify and describe the health impact of shellfish-related outbreaks as well as the circumstances of occurrence in Brittany, with the end goal of reducing their frequency.
An online questionnaire looked at shellfish consumption between November 2021 and April 2022, the practice of shore fishing, and the occurrence of shellfish outbreaks over the past five years.
A total of 438 responses were received between May and July 2022. Most respondents were women, the median age was 46, and 21 percent practiced shore fishing. From November 2021 to April 2022, 93 percent of participants reported having eaten shellfish. Almost two-thirds ate shellfish raw and cooked, while a quarter only ate cooked shellfish. Scallops and mussels were the most consumed, but oysters were the top raw type of shellfish eaten.
FoodWorld 