Salmonella and campylobacter contamination in chicken

Citation

(2002), "Salmonella and campylobacter contamination in chicken", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 32 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2002.01732cab.008

Salmonella and campylobacter contamination in chicken

Salmonella and campylobacter contamination in chicken

The Food Standards Agency has reported that salmonella contamination of chicken on sale in UK shops has dropped to the lowest level ever recorded but campylobacter contamination remains at a high level. The FSA's aim to halve salmonella contamination levels of chicken in the UK by 2005 was set last year when contamination levels were about 20 per cent. Results from a survey carried out between April and June 2001 showed that salmonella contamination had dropped to an average of 4.1 per cent in fresh chicken and 10.8 per cent contamination in frozen chicken. Unfortunately, 50 per cent of chicken on sale in the UK were contaminated with campylobacter although there was a large variation in the results. The highest levels were recorded in Northern Ireland where 77 per cent were contaminated, but the lowest in Wales with only 42 per cent contaminated. Again there was a marked difference in the results from fresh (63 per cent) and frozen (33 per cent). Some 4,881 samples of fresh and frozen, whole and portioned chicken were tested: 2,481 from England and 800 each from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Samples included both home produced and imported products. Samples were purchased according to the retailers' market share, with the major supermarkets supplying 70 per cent of the samples tested, the rest coming from smaller retailers, butchers and grocers.