Two-thirds of chickens on sale in the UK are carrying a bacterium which can cause food poisoning. According to the BBC, the birds carry the bacteria known as campylobacter, which can cause diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The bacterium is responsible for 55,000 cases of food poisoning annually in the UK.
Worryingly, there has been little evidence of an effective way to stop the spread of the bacterium among birds, however, minimising of contact between the birds at slaughter does seem to reduce the risk of infection.
Fortunately for consumers the bacterium can be taken care of simply by ensuring that the chicken is cooked through. This is evident when the juices from the bird run clear.
However, the Food Standards Agency have condemned the figures and demanded that the poultry industry take action. They have a target to reduce infection from 70% of poultry down by 35% by 2010 which looks unrealistic.
Illness caused by the campylobacter bug is fortunately not generally life threatening, with most people recovering without treatment after a few days. However, as the figures regarding chickens might suggest, it is the most common cause of food poisoning suffered in the UK, and the low time period for recovery certainly doesn’t mean that it isn’t a nasty experience to endure.
The spread of the bug can be prevented by good hygiene practice. Those who think they may have the illness should not be involved in the preparation of food and anyone handling raw chicken should wash their hands afterwards to prevent cross contamination between foods.
The standard of food preparation and hygiene is even more important in restaurants as a result of this news about poultry. They are particularly vulnerable to the possibility of food contamination, handling large quantities of raw meat every day.
