In a highly critical report last month, the British government came under fire for what the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies said was a failure to tackle the problem of food poisoning, which results in 20,000 people being hospitalised and 500 deaths every year.
The thinktank blamed the worsening situation on a substantial fall in the number of food standards and environmental inspections between 2004 and 2013. The lack of inspections resulted in a cut in prosecutions, the thinktank said, and allowed sloppy procedures in the food industry to go unchecked.
Image: Prof Paul Park said the device could be used as part of a ‘smart’ fridge. Photograph: Handout