Consumers clearly expect the catering sector to raise their standards

Sir John Krebs, FSA

This compares to 4.5 million cases in 1994-95.

The FSA says all too often, restaurants, cafes and takeaways breach safety regulations, by for example, failing to keep food properly refrigerated, failing to keep surfaces clean and failing to ensure staff wash their hands.

FSA chairman Sir John Krebs said the aim of the campaign was to persuade businesses to clean up their act.

He said: "Most cases are preventable through simple good hygiene practices like washing hands at regular intervals when preparing food.

"Consumers clearly expect the catering sector to raise their standards and are refusing to return to catering outlets they believe to be unhygienic."

The sickbags associated with the campaign are printed with the words "for safer food and better business - food safety, it's in your hands".

Public concern

The Restaurant Association (RA) has branded the FSA's marketing campaign as being offensive and in bad taste.

RA chief executive Ian McKerracher said he was furious to discover some of his members had received sick bags from the agency.

He said: "Food safety issues are too important to trivialise in this way.

"The FSA should be working with the industry to gain co-operation on this issue, not insulting us.�

"It seems a grotesque waste of taxpayers money and a serious error of judgement."

The food hygiene campaign coincides with publication of the FSA's second annual Consumer Attitudes to Food study, which questioned 3,120 people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It found an alarming rise in public concerns over food poisoning.

The survey showed:-