The tainted chicken scandal continues in the UK. The authorities call for caution, as more than 70% of chickens show traces of campylobacter in all supermarkets.
New health scandal in the United Kingdom. After eggs in 2011 and horse meat in 2013, it is the turn of chickens sold in supermarkets to make the headlines. Analyzes carried out by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the overseas food safety watch authority, show that nearly 8 out of 10 chickens show traces of the campylobacter bacteria.
All affected supermarkets
Problem: this bacterium can be fatal when it infects humans. Every year in the UK 280,000 people are affected, 80% of them after consuming chicken. And 100 deaths per year are attributed to him.
However, according to the FSA, all British supermarkets are affected by this problem. In the case of the giant ASDA, where the largest number of contaminated chickens was detected, 78% of poultry were concerned.
This bacterium, originally present in the feces and throats of chickens, is eradicated during cooking. But the British health authorities specify that it can contaminate a person if this cooking is not sufficient, or if it touches raw meat. The poultry industry is also criticized for its too low hygiene standards, especially in slaughterhouses, when gutting chickens or packing them before shipping them.
Security measures
However, while supermarkets are required to withdraw any meat contaminated with salmonella from sale, there is no obligation regarding chickens carrying campylobacter. So in the meantime, Professor Lang, who participated in the analyzes, recommends that British consumers boycott these products, until improvements are visible.
The FSA also gave a series of measures to avoid any contamination. This involves throwing away all plastic bags that have contained the chicken, washing all objects, body parts or food that have been in contact with raw meat, and finally, if possible, freezing the meat before any use, because the cold also kills the bacteria.
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