NZFSSRC Chief Scientist gets behind the stats in the Annual Report on Foodborne Disease 2024

In this Food NZ issue (pages 40 - 43), our Chief Scientist, Distinguished Professor Phil Bremer, looks at New Zealand Food Safety Annual report on Foodborne diseases (Report). He explains the assumptions made in calculating what percentage of infectious diseases such as Campylobacteriosis, STEC, Yersiniosis, Salmonellosis, and Listeriosis are foodborne.  Other possible transmission routes are water, environmental, surfaces, human to human, and animal contact. In addition, Phil speculates on factors that may affect the reporting and hospitalisation rates, both positive and negative.

While the incidence of Campylobacteriosis continues to decline in line with New Zealand Food Safety goals, other rates of infection are stubbornly flatlining.  There is work to do.

Published on: 1 April 2026