The site (www.campylobacter.org.uk) aims to be a dedicated online resource on the status of campylobacter, which has been found to exist on the skin of 70% of raw chickens sold in UK retailers and butchers.
It has been set up by bodies including the FSA; the British Poultry Council; the National Farmers’ Union; Defra and the British Retail Consortium.
Campylobacter is thought to be the leading cause of food poisoning in the UK, with 280,000 people falling ill from every year – around 100 of whom are thought to die. Chicken contaminated with the bacteria can trigger symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
FSA study
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) study tested 1,995 fresh whole raw chickens and their outer packaging for the presence of campylobacter from February to August this year.
Of the 70% that were tested positive, 18% were over the threshold where human infection is most likely, 31% had moderate levels and 21% had low levels.
The levels – which have grown steadily over the past decade – have resulted in leading food scientist professor Tim Lang calling for a boycott of supermarket chicken. Pub impact Despite the negative press attention of the past few days, there appears to have been no immediate impact on sales of chicken dishes in pubs.
Pub caterers' chicken sales unaffected
Chris Maskery, who runs family pub the Fighting Cocks in Horton Kirby, Kent, said that “not one customer” has mentioned it so far. Similarly, Chloe Ciliberto, manager at St Austell Brewery pub the Lighthouse Inn, in St Ives, Cornwall, believed chicken sales had been “as per normal” over the weekend.
Claire Alexander, who runs freehold pubs the Ebrington Arms, in Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire, and the Killingworth Castle in Wooton, Oxfordshire, only uses free range, organic Cotswold chickens and also hasn’t noticed any drop in sales.
She said: “Let's face it, people are finally wising up to the fact that supermarket chickens are a disgrace, for the conditions of the welfare of the animals and farming practices that result in cheap pricing."
Alexander added: “Thank goodness the tide is turning and people are supporting local more and more and care about the food on their plate and where it's come from.”
Kitchen hygiene tips:
- Clear space and wash with hot, soapy water or disinfectant.
- Hands are one of the main ways germs are spread. You should wash them thoroughly with soap and warm water before starting any food preparation task and after touching raw meat products.
- Make sure your fridge is set between 0°C and 5°C to prevent harmful germs from growing and multiplying.