HIGHER LEVELS OF CONTAMINATION IN UK PRODUCED CHICKENS

Results of Food Standards Agency Campylobacter & Salmonella Survey

Although the recent increase in Salmonella looks like it may be linked to Spanish eggs, there are still problems with UK produced chicken.  Results of the Food Standards Agency Campylobacter and Salmonella survey show that UK produced chicken is more heavily contaminated than non-UK produced chicken.

Over 3,000 samples of raw chicken were taken for testing.  The survey showed that Campylobacter was present in 65% of the samples of chicken tested. Salmonella was in 6% of samples.  Worryingly, 76% of UK produced chicken was contaminated with Campylobacter, whereas only 26% of non-UK produced chicken samples were contaminated.

Andrew Wadge, Director of Food Safety at the Food Standards Agency, said: "The continuing low levels of Salmonella are encouraging, but it is disappointing that the levels of Campylobacter remain high".

Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of food poisoning. It is responsible for around 55,000 cases of illness in the UK every year, and is therefore one of the key organisms the Agency is tackling in order to reduce levels of foodborne illness.

Campylobacter can be found on meat, unpasteurised milk, and untreated water; however there is strong evidence that chicken is the most common cause of illness.

The Food Standards Agency emphasises that while Campylobacter is still present in a significant proportion of fresh chicken sold in the UK, cooking chicken properly all the way through will kill the bug, so consumers can avoid the risk of illness.

Further reduce the risk by good personal hygiene (hand washing), and other measures to reduce the risk of cross contamination – e.g. separate chopping boards/knives, effective cleaning procedures etc.

If you would like to be able to demonstrate that your cleaning procedures are effective, we can carry out a BIOSCANNING hygiene monitoring check on your kitchen surfaces. 

Contact us for more information....