UK – Food safety agencies in the United Kingdom, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA), Food Standards Scotland (FSS), and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), have expressed renewed concern about the presence of Salmonella in poultry and egg products imported from Poland.
This warning comes after more than 200 cases of salmonellosis this year have been linked to various strains of Salmonella enteritidis found in poultry products like meat and eggs originating from Poland.
The FSA is currently engaged in discussions with officials in Poland and the European Union to address the recurring problem and ensure steps are taken to enhance the safety of Polish poultry and eggs.
In 2022, 190 Salmonella notifications on the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) pertained to poultry meat products from Poland, Food Safety News reports.
While control measures were strengthened in 2021 after outbreaks in 2020, recent investigations by UKHSA have uncovered six outbreaks in 2023 linked to chilled poultry and egg products from Poland.
Chicken meat products are implicated in a multi-country outbreak involving three types of Salmonella enteritidis.
Traceability data primarily points to producers in Poland, although no microbiological evidence of contamination at their facilities has been identified. Between January and October 2023, 14 EU countries, the UK, and the U.S. reported a total of 335 cases associated with this outbreak.
The FSA’s advice to consumers includes practicing caution when handling and cooking chicken, turkey, and duck products at home.
Specific recommendations emphasize thorough handwashing after handling raw poultry, refraining from washing raw poultry, and using or freezing products within their designated use-by dates.
Cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct duration is also emphasized as a crucial measure to eliminate harmful bacteria.
The British Lion Eggs organization has called upon food manufacturers, retailers, caterers, and consumers to prioritize British eggs over imported ones.
Gary Ford, Deputy Chief Executive of the British Egg Industry Council, emphasized the comprehensive food safety controls provided by the British Lion Code of Practice and urged responsible businesses to opt for British eggs, marked with the distinctive red lion logo, to ensure the safety of their products and protect their reputations.
Researchers from the National Center for Food Science of the Singapore Food Agency and the National University of Singapore recently created a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the detection of viable Salmonella enteritidis contamination in shell eggs that, if integrated, would speed up the current Salmonella testing procedure.
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