EFSA releases poultry meat opinion report
In a recently published scientific opinion report, EFSA suggested that traditional poultry meat inspection may not be enough to prevent the most common biological hazards to public health, such as campylobacter, salmonella and ESBL/AmpC gene-carrying bacteria.
Based on scientific findings, the report suggests a modernisation of poultry meat inspection and an improved use of shared information between farms and abattoirs (food chain information), which would also help to identify animal health and welfare issues.
The authority also considered the strengths and weaknesses of current inspection methodologies and recommended new methods to take into account hazards that are not considered at the moment.
One of the main recommendations given for biological hazard management was the need for clear targets to be set for poultry carcases and flocks. To do this farmers and abattoirs, according to the opinion report, need to utilise control options available for hazards and focus on food chain information.
