Bacterial contamination in chicken
A European Food Safety Report (EFSA) report published last week on bacterial contamination in chicken is very relevant to all of us as consumers. The report gives the results of a survey carried out in 2008 among 26 member states in the EU on Campylobacter and Salmonella in chicken at slaughterhouses. The overall finding was a high prevalence of Campylobacter in chickens, whereas Salmonella was less frequently detected.
For Ireland the EFSA survey found Campylobacter in the intestines of 83% of chickens, indicating that they were already infected when alive, and on 98% of sampled carcasses, which suggested some further contamination during slaughtering. Among the 26 member states surveyed, Ireland’s results were the fourth highest for the bacterium in chickens and second highest for it in carcasses.
Campylobacter infections can cause acute gastroenteritis with diarrhoea and/or vomiting. This infection can be severe and life threatening in vulnerable people; the very young, the old and those with an underlying health condition.
Since the survey found that almost all Irish chicken carcasses are contaminated with Campylobacter, chicken poses a risk to us consumers in two ways:
Thus we have to regard uncooked chicken as wearing a very big red ‘Handle with care’ sign. And if we do handle uncooked chicken with great care, there is absolutely no risk to us consumers. The danger posed by Campylobacter in chicken is removed by preventing cross-contamination between uncooked chicken and other ready-to-eat foods and by thoroughly cooking chicken.
Thus we have to be very vigilant when handling uncooked chicken in supermarkets and at home.
There is a problem at the moment with packaging on chicken which leaks. Most likely we have all seen the problem – juices coming out from the underside of a cling-filmed chicken. This problem is currently being addressed. Given that the recent survey has shown that practically all chicken is contaminated, if the packaging is leaking, then the juices are highly likely to be contaminated. In the shop contaminated juices can get on the refrigerated display itself. Contaminated juices can get on our hands before we go off choosing other ready-to-eat foods. Contaminated juices can get on other purchases in our trolley and then in our shopping bags.
And we haven’t even got home yet.
The problem of leaking packaging is being addresesed. The Food Safety Authority (FSAI), producers and retailers are working hard together to introduce leak-proof chicken packaging.
There is no risk for us consumers if we are careful and treat uncooked chicken with great care. I for one will be even more careful when handling uncooked chicken in the supermarket. There I’m going to put a plastic bag over my hand before handling a packaged chicken and immediately put the chicken into a plastic bag. Before this I used to put the chicken in a plastic bag at the check-out. Now I won’t even wait until then.
The same principles apply when buying uncovered chicken in butchers and farmers markets.
The FSAI website gives further advice is “Consumers can also protect themselves and prevent contamination of their foodstuffs by being mindful of some key practices, such as: when shopping, designating a bag for packing raw poultry and raw meats only; always washing hands after handling raw poultry; storing raw poultry in the fridge separated from ready-to-eat foods; and always cooking poultry meat thoroughly, until there is no pink meat and the juices run clear”.
I actually take chicken out of its packaging when I get home, put it on a plate, cover it with tin-foil and put it in the fridge. I get rid of the packaging and wash down the surfaces with soap and hot water. (I never use anything other than soap, hot water and elbow grease when cleaning. I’m a Darina Allen fan on this!)
Chicken has to be cooked thoroughly. There’s no room for error here at all. If in doubt leave it in … the oven.
I love chicken. I’m still going to eat lots of chicken. but what I have learned from this report is to be even more careful when handling uncooked chicken.
More information can be found here; EFSA report and FSAI website.
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Scary stuff!! I am uber conscious when cutting chicken and cooking chicken but the packaging is a new one for me. I like your idea of the plastic bag around it, how about carrying a hand gel disinfectant in your bag and then spraying it on just afterwards. Must be more vigilant about the meat counter!
I remember hearing a well known chef at one of the large hotels here in NI, oh, it was many years ago. He said that the problems were in the carcass and that all fowl flesh in their kitchens was removed from the bone as soon as it came into the the kitchen. He also said that cooking above 200°C for ten minutes killed off any contamination in the meat, before reducing the heat to that suggested for the recipe.
Like you I repack all meat once home, either for immediate cooking or the freezer. I like to shop on a Thursday, then all the packaging and rubbish goes out to the bin for emptying on a Friday morning!
Thanks so much for highlighting this Lily. I am just like Irish Mammy – careful at home, but unthinking in the butchers or supermarket. I will certainly take this advice on board from now on.
Hi Lily – what a great post. Marie (she of the comment above) has been raving about the great blog you have and I finally got around to reading it. She is so right! What a great mix of posts and a very entertaining read. I look forward to following you now in the future.
Lily,
Delighted to get this advice.
Interestingly, the last time I bought chicken in SQ, they wouldn’t give me a small plastic bag for it at the check-out and instead supplied a paper bag. When I questioned this practice, I was told it was a new rule. Great lot of use paper is for containing a spillage!
From now on, I shall do what you do and use two small plastic bags from the fruit and veg section.
Here’s a link to a post I wrote some time ago about the scourge of salmonella agona…
http://biopsy.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/salmonella-agony/
Treasa, your suggestion is a good one re carrying a disinfectant.
Grannymar, the EFSA’s use of term carcass is a little misleading. The EFSA sampled from the whole chicken to get the carcass sample, thus I’m not sure that removing the meat from the bone would really help.
Marie, you’re welcome. I was certainly alerted to the risk posed by leaking packaging. Thank you for recommending my blog to Gabby
Gabby, welcome to the blog and thank you for your lovely comment. You had me smiling!
Steph, I can only assume they were short of plastic bags. As you say paper wouldn’t give any protection if chicken packaging was leaking. I don’t like adding to increased usage of plastic bags and the resultant environmental challenge but I do think we have to be vigilant. I read your link – very interesting.