MORE than 500 cases of food poisoning were reported in East Lancashire last year.

Up to one million cases of food-borne illness are reported each year in the UK, leading to 20,000 people being hospitalised and 500 deaths.

Tests confirmed 518 cases in East Lancashire in 2009 – an increase of 115 from the figure of 561 in 2008.

Blackburn with Darwen had 142, Burnley 82, Hyndburn 54, Pendle 100, the Ribble Valley 62 and Rossendale 78.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) released the figures as part of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Food Safety Week, which runs until Sunday, and has the theme “proper cooking and avoiding cross-contamination”.

Prof Eric Bolton, of the HPA, said: “A bout of food poisoning can be a nightmare.

“If everyone, food workers and consumers, washed their hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, before and after handling food and before eating, we would see massive reductions in campylobacter, salmonella, norovirus infection and a range of other unpleasant food-borne infections.”

There was a notable increase in the summer as more people ate food at barbecues or picnics.

Bob Martin, FSA food safety expert, said: “Proper cooking will kill food bugs.

“It's especially important to make sure poultry, pork, burgers and sausages are cooked all the way through.

"If there's any pink meat or the juices have any pink or red in them, germs could be lurking.

“Check that your food is steaming hot all the way through before serving.”