Salmonella contaminated pork recall was a formality – Danish Crown

According to a company spokesperson, 1,600kg of pork meat on sale in several Danish stores was recalled after a test on 12 samples produced 5 positive Salmonella results.

The company, which in 2009/10 slaughtered approximately 16.3m pigs and sows in Denmark, told FoodProductionDaily.com that the pork recall was merely a formality and that the Danish food safety authorities are happy with the recall and will not be pursuing an investigation.

To date there have been no reports of illness in relation to the recalled meats and Danish Crown said: “In reality it is most unlikely that there is any meat left.”​

Recalled after three weeks​

According to a company spokesperson, the meat was sold in around 10 or 12 stores in Denmark and was only recalled three weeks after initially being shipped.

The recall was ordered after the company became aware that some batches may be contaminated with Salmonella after it was originally detected in pork belly.

The recall applied to SuperBest, SuperBrugsen and Supermarket stores which stocked Danish Crown pork products with a wholesale packaging date of 5 October 2011 and retail packaging dates between 6 and 12 October.

Low salmonella incidence​

Danish Crown, which dispatches meat from around 70,000 pigs per day from slaughterhouses, has a low incidence of Salmonella contamination in pork – around 2%.

Danish Crown is a cooperative society of approximately 8,950 Danish farmers who deliver pigs and cattle to slaughterhouses in Denmark.

Danish food safety authorities have advised those who purchased the affected products to return their product to the store for refund.