Official advice released as festival goers report food poisoning symptoms
Health officials have issued advice for festival goers and food vendors alike as reports of suspected food poisoning continue to emerge from a beloved UK event.
The Food Standards Agency estimates that every year, around 2.4 million people in Britain will be struck down with symptoms such as blurred vision, diarrhoea, and high temperature after contracting a foodborne illness.
Late last month, several people reportedly added to the statistic, claiming they felt ‘so poorly’ after eating food from a vendor at an Oxfordshire music festival.
The food stall, operated by Yorky Roast, was pitched up at Truck Festival; organisers said they were alerted that people had become unwell after its on-site medical team received ‘a number of attendees with similar symptoms’, as per the NME.
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A spokesperson for the event previously said it had closed down the stall within 90 minutes of being notified of concerns.
“Our health and safety team launched an immediate investigation and identified a third-party food vendor as the suspected source,” a festival spokesperson added. “We share the disappointment and frustration of those whose weekend was affected.”
FOODbible has contacted Superstruct Entertainment, Truck Festival UK, and The Yorky Roast operated by Event Mobile Catering Limited for comment.
Advice for festival goers and food truck operators
In light of the claims, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has issued advice to those attending music festivals across the UK this summer, either in a fan or vendor capacity.
Hannah Ward, a member of the CIEH who specialises in festival and mobile catering inspections, said: "Cases such as this highlight the critical importance of maintaining the highest standards of food hygiene and temperature control at festivals and other large-scale events.
"Festival environments can present additional challenges, including hot weather, temporary kitchen facilities, high customer volumes and limited storage and operational space.
"Food operators must ensure they have suitable systems in place to manage these risks and that food safety procedures are rigorously followed throughout the event."
She also claimed that some responsibility for foodborne illnesses falls on festival organisers.
In the case of Truck Festival, this would be Superstruct Entertainment.
"Event organisers have a responsibility to provide timely site facilities to vendors such as water supply, waste, power, and suitable camping facilities," she explained via the BBC.
"The delay of these facilities has a knock-on effect to the food business' safe operation and service delivery."
She also advised festival goers to practice good hygiene, including regularly washing their hands with soap and water before eating.
Ella Scott