Sweden's claim to have poultry stocks with the lowest Salmonella
infection rates in the EU hascome under severe attack after 100,000
birds had to be culled this week after an outbreak of thedisease.
Analysis of fresh, whole broilers bought in the US revealed that 83
per cent harboredCampylobacter or Salmonella, a spike from the 49
per cent level found in 2003, according to Consumer Reports
magazine.
About one box of eggs out of every 30 imported into the UK tests
positive for salmonella,according to figures released yesterday by
the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
US health officials investigating a salmonella outbreak that
infected 171 people across 19 States believe fresh produce may have
been the cause of the spread.
The European Commission yesterday set targets for member states to
meet in reducing the presence of Salmonella in poultry, and has
proposed trade bans on eggs from flocks with persistent high levels
of the pathogen.
A consumer advocacy group has released the names of poultry
processors whose plants failed federal standards for Salmonella,
faulting the industry and regulators for not doing enough to reduce
the foodborne pathogen.
The presence of salmonella in samples of most raw meat and poultry
products tested by federal inspectors decreased slightly in the
first quarter of 2006.
Luxembourg and Sweden are among the safest places to eat an egg in
the EU, with Portugal, Poland and the Czech Republic the riskiest,
according to tests for Salmonella at commercial producers across
the bloc.
Orange juice and other foods traditionally not associated with
foodborne disease outbreaks could still be a source of disease,
according to scientists.
Aided by a common protozoa, Salmonella cells are three times likely
to survive the treatments used by food processors to clean
equipment, according to a scientific study.
US and EU scientists researching how to crack through hard
formations of bacteria on surfaces say their discoveries could lead
to new cleaning methods for fruit, vegetables and other foods
Fresh produce is catching up with chicken as a major culprit of
Salmonella infections in the US, according to an analysis of
food-poisoning outbreaks by a consumer lobby group.
A new antimicrobial solution helps reduce Salmonella and other
bacteria in poultry during processing and also eliminates the need
for chlorine in the chilling tank, according to its manufacturer.
Despite firm traceability rules and constantly improved food safety
systems the threat of litigation hangs in the air for the food
industry: in the UK a prepared foods firm faces up to €1.4 million
to settle a food poisoning court...
UK food watchdog warns this week it will bump up prevention actions
for food pathogens as salmonella cases are on the rise, but
contamination focus on Spanish eggs seems likely.
Tackling the ongoing issue of risk assessment in the food chain the
US food safety agency plans to release two draft risk assessments
related to the harmful food pathogen salmonella.
Risk management strategies in place to minimise the harmful food
pathogen salmonella in chickens could focus on the eggshell, as
scientists in the US find that poorer quality eggshells allow the
bacteria to break through into the...
The country with the lowest occurrence of salmonella in the world
said this week it has aroused 'great interest' in the US for its
methods to control this harmful pathogen.
A new system to detect salmonella within 24 hours is being
developed by scientists in Spain. The breakthrough is significant
as the bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning,
and the new process could help food manufacturers...
The UK egg industry received a pat on the back from the country's
food watchdog following a survey that found salmonella levels in
UK-produced eggs have fallen by two thirds since 1996.
A survey of UK-produced eggs has found that the level of salmonella
contamination is now one third of what it was in 1996. Poultry
producers hope that the findings will go some way to allaying
consumer fears over poultry products,writes...
It is common for pigs to wait in holding pens for at least 2 hours
after transport before slaughter to improve meat quality. Loading,
unloading, and travel stress can lead to lactic acid build up in
pigs' muscles, which can affect...
European Commissioner David Byrne welcomed the Agriculture
Council's decision this week on new rules to cut the incidence of
foodborne diseases in the European Union. Salmonella alone costs
the EU an estimated €2.8bn.
A rash of salmonella outbreaks have been reported across the UK.
And according to one leading bacteriologist, the source of these
outbreaks is probably food-based.
Salmonellosis is on the rise in Europe and tougher controls are
needed to prevent the spread of the foodborne disease, a senior
World Health Organisation official said on Tuesday.
A consumer group has found evidence of high levels of
disease-causing salmonella in raw turkey products from five US
plants, including those owned by ConAgra Foods and Cargill.
An Associated Press story reports that US federal health officials
last week renewed warnings about raw alfalfa sprouts, stating that
they could be contaminated with salmonella or E. coli bacteria.
People, particularly young children, the elderly and those with
weak immune systems, should avoid eating raw sprouts because the
crunchy, protein-packed foods could cause salmonella and other
possibly fatal infections, U.S. federal...
The U.S. Agriculture Department has announced it will not close
meat processing plants that violate its salmonella safety standard,
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
According to researchers, adding capsaicin, the spicy component of
peppers, to the diet of neonatal chicks appears to increase their
resistance to salmonella.
