Nearly 400 emergency calls in recent years have been linked to suspected food poisoning cases.
Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request submitted to the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust by kitchen specialists Prestige indicates that Wales recorded 388 ambulance responses involving suspected food poisoning across the last five years.
The 20s age group represented the highest number of incidents, accounting for 71 emergency responses. Those in their 70s followed with 57 cases.
Individuals aged 60 and older were responsible for 152 of the total callouts, while young people and children from birth to 19 years made up 27 cases.
According to Olivia Disley from Prestige, food poisoning can affect anyone regardless of age, with symptoms ranging from distressing and uncomfortable to severe in certain situations.
She noted that harmful bacteria can easily contaminate meals when basic hygiene and food safety practices are neglected in food preparation areas.
Families and loved ones deserve to enjoy meals without concern about illness, and achieving this requires knowledge about the causes and prevention of food poisoning, she explained.
Proper handwashing stands among the most effective measures for minimizing risk, especially after touching raw meat, eggs, or seafood.
Disley emphasized that maintaining clean hands represents one of the simplest yet most powerful methods for preventing bacterial contamination in kitchen environments.
She recommended washing hands with warm water and soap for a minimum of 20 seconds prior to cooking and after handling raw ingredients such as meat, fish, or eggs.
Additional recommendations included keeping raw and prepared foods separate, refrigerating perishable items without delay, and reviewing expiration dates.
Any products exhibiting unusual odors, appearances, or texture changes should be discarded to prevent illness, Disley stated.
She concluded that minor adjustments to food handling, storage, and preparation methods can yield significant health benefits.