It is unacceptable ... that people are being put at risk due to poor hygiene practice, especially when simple things such as washing your hands can greatly reduce the risks

Dr George Paterson FSA Scotland

As part of the national campaign, the FSA is sending sickbags to thousands of catering establishments.

They carry the words: "Food safety - it's in your hands."

Under the Food Safety Act introduced in 1990, local councils have the power to close down establishments deemed to flout food hygiene requirements.

A report published last year by the FSA said that of the 20,825 catering premises inspected by local authorities during 2000, 7,781 infringed hygiene laws.

Dr George Paterson, director of FSA Scotland, said it had taken a "carrot and stick" approach to outlets which failed to implement basic food hygiene rules.

'Broad campaign'

"The bottom line is that if an individual establishment is found to be breaking the rules, then that's where the stick will come in," he said.

"This is a broad campaign targeting the whole sector - so it's about your top flight five-star hotels as well as your mobile vans."

One of the FSA's sickbags

Dr Paterson said: "We have had E-coli O157 problems in Scotland, but that does not mean that E-coli O157 is not a risk down south.

"What we need to do is make sure that these businesses are operating in a safe way and following food hygiene procedures.

"It is simply unacceptable in this day and age that people are being put at risk due to poor hygiene practice, especially when simple things such as washing your hands can greatly reduce the risks."

Dr Paterson said many food outlets may have staff with "diverse ethnic backgrounds" but insisted the agency was not targetting back-street outlets.

Other findings from the 2001 survey:

• Concern about hygiene rose from 41% in 2000 to 50% last year

• There was a sharp increase in concerns about mobile food outlets, from 11% to 25%

• There was "significant" concern - 72% of consumers - about the cleanliness of the premises, the staff or the kitchen

• But the survey also found four out of 10 consumers in Scotland said they ate more healthily than over the previous year.