The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today published the latest set of results from its year-long survey of campylobacter on fresh chickens. The results to date show:
- 19% of chickens tested positive for campylobacter within the highest band of contamination (More than 1,000 colony forming units per gram)
- 73% of chickens tested positive for the presence of campylobacter.
- 7% of packaging tested positive for the presence of campylobacter. Only three out of more than 3,000 samples of packaging tested positive at the highest band of contamination.
The FSA’s 12-month survey, running from February 2014 to February 2015, is testing around 4,000 samples of whole chickens bought from UK retail outlets and smaller independent stores and butchers. The FSA Director of Policy, said: “We now know it is possible to make positive inroads in reducing campylobacter. Figures released today by M&S show that their intervention plan has resulted in fewer contaminated chickens on sale in their stores. 'Campylobacter is killed by thorough cooking, but it should not be left to consumers to manage the risk” Food poisoning in the UK affects an estimated 280,000 people a year and poultry is the source of the majority of cases,
Although FSA is pressing the industry to reduce levels of campylobacter before raw chicken reaches the consumer, they give advice to consumers saying “Chicken is safe as long as consumers follow good kitchen practice:
- Cover and chill raw chicken: Cover raw chicken and store at the bottom of the fridge so juices cannot drip on to other foods and contaminate them with food poisoning bacteria such as campylobacter.
- Don’t wash raw chicken: Cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter, while washing chicken can spread germs by splashing.
- Wash used utensils: Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces used to prepare raw chicken. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, after handling raw chicken. This helps stop the spread of campylobacter by avoiding cross contamination.
- Cook chicken thoroughly: Make sure chicken is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Cut in to the thickest part of the meat and check that it is steaming hot with no pink meat and that the juices run clear “
Are we still the only country who, having failed to control Campylobacter in chickens sold to the public, and despite the evidence showing that cleaning with detergent only does not prevent spread of campylobacter via hands, surfaces and clothes, steadfastly refuse to recommend use of disinfectants to prevent cross contamination in domestic kitchens after handling of raw meat and poultry?
The report is at: http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2015/13619/campylobacter-survey-cumulative-results-from-the-first-nine-months
