FSA tackles campylobacter with new five-year roadmap

As reported in Food Manufacture earlier this month, the focus of the new strategy will be on reducing levels of campylobacter in raw chicken and increasing understanding of the drivers of listeriosis.
 
Under the roadmap, the FSA proposes to trial new intervention measures in farms, slaughterhouses and retailers. It will also develop new campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of cross-contamination from handling raw chicken and the importance of cooking chicken thoroughly.

According to the FSA, 65% of raw shop-bought chicken is contaminated with campylobacter, with an estimated 300,000 cases of food poisoning attributed to the bug every year in England and Wales alone.

As part of the new strategy, the FSA will develop a risk management programme in partnership with industry that will include a target for reducing campylobacter levels in raw chicken at retail. This will be set by December 2010 with the expectation that it can be achieved by April 2015.

A similar programme will also be developed to tackle listeria, which will involve new research to increase understanding of the risks and drivers of listeriosis to be completed by March 2013 and followed up with an action plan based on the findings by 2015.