Don t wash raw chicken. Campylobacter: a concern for us all

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1 a concern for us all Remember the London 2012 opening ceremony and the Olympic stadium filled to bursting point with spectators? Well, try to envisage that huge crowd multiplied by three. It s about a quarter of a million people. That s how many people in the UK could be struck down by campylobacter this year. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. You can t see it, smell it or even taste it on food, but if it affects you, you won t forget it. Campylobacter poisoning can result in abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting, and can be particularly severe in small children and older people. In certain cases it can also lead to irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome a serious condition of the nervous system. At its worst, it can kill. How do you get it? About four in five cases of campylobacter infections in the UK come from contaminated poultry. One of the main ways to get and spread campylobacter is through cross-contamination. Food Safety Week Campylobacter will be at the centre of this year s Food Safety Week (16 22 June), which will provide a focus for promoting good food hygiene that can help to reduce the risk of foodborne illness amongst consumers. Local authorities will be working to spread the word, alongside commercial partners and the media. Our main message to consumers will be: Don t wash raw chicken Washing raw chicken can spread germs by splashing. Thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present. Don t wash raw chicken Washing raw chicken can actually spread campylobacter by splashing it onto hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment.

2 a concern for us all Acting on Campylobacter Together The FSA is also spearheading a campaign to bring together work across the whole food chain to tackle the problem. As part of this campaign we are asking: Farmers and producers to reduce the number of flocks of broiler chickens (grown for meat) that carry campylobacter when they are presented for slaughter Slaughterhouses and processors to ensure that their processes minimise the levels of contamination in the birds they produce Caterers to make sure that their staff are aware of the risks from raw poultry and work harder to avoid cross-contamination during handling or from under-cooking Local government partners to raise awareness of campylobacter and ensure that food businesses using chilled poultry meat are aware of the risks and keep to the highest standards of hygiene Retailers and supermarkets to play their role by advising their customers not to wash raw chicken and to cook it thoroughly All the major supermarkets will be joining the campaign with features on campylobacter in their customer and staff magazines and on their websites. They have also committed to provide clearer information on packs of their raw chicken and turkey, advising people not to wash these products before cooking. By acting on campylobacter together we can provide safer food for the nation and save lives. Spread the word, not the germs! Fewer infected birds presented for slaughter Clearer supermarket packaging 4 in 5 cases come from contaminated poultry

3 from farm to fork About four in five cases of campylobacter poisoning in the UK can be traced back to poultry meat contaminated with the bacterium. To tackle this, and reduce contamination on UK-produced chickens, the whole food chain needs to play its part. The Food Standards Agency is spearheading a campaign that is bringing together work across the whole food chain, from farm to fork including chicken producers, processors, caterers and retailers: Acting on Campylobacter Together. We are asking: Farmers and producers to act to reduce the number of flocks of broilers (chickens grown for meat) that contain campylobacter when they are presented for slaughter. This will include undertaking comprehensive monitoring of flocks and maximising the effectiveness of biosecurity, for example by working through third party assurance schemes to drive a change in culture and the consistent application of best practice. Industry could also incentivise producers to reduce flock colonisation by rewarding those who have no, or low, levels of campylobacter infection pre-slaughter. Slaughterhouses and processors to make sure that their processes minimise the levels of contamination in the birds they produce. This should include a sharpened focus on current good hygienic practices in relation to plucking, evisceration, washing and chilling processes, to ensure good hygiene is applied effectively and consistently. 4 in 5 cases come from contaminated poultry Incentives for low contamination levels Good hygiene practice

4 from farm to fork Retailers and supermarkets to play their role by, for example, advising their customers not to wash raw chicken and to cook it thoroughly. They should also provide clear information about hygienic handling of their products, safe cooking, hygienic disposal of packaging, and methods to reduce cross-contamination. Caterers to follow good hygiene practices at all times and ensure that their staff are aware of the risks from raw poultry and work harder to avoid cross-contamination during handling or from under-cooking. Local government partners to help raise awareness of campylobacter and ensure that food businesses using chilled poultry meat are aware of the risks and are maintaining the highest standards of hygiene. Consumers to reflect on whether the way they handle chicken in their homes creates food poisoning risks for themselves and their families. To assist in this, the FSA will undertake studies on how to change consumer behaviour around food preparation and in terms of general hand hygiene. By acting on campylobacter together we can provide safer food for the nation and save lives. Spread the word, not the germs! Avoid cross-contamination Clearer supermarket packaging Ensure high hygiene standards Raise awareness of campylobacter!

5 how it affects you Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK. You can t see it, smell it or even taste it on food, but if it affects you, you won t forget it. Campylobacter poisoning can result in abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting. In certain cases it can also lead to irritable bowel syndrome, reactive arthritis and Guillain-Barré syndrome a serious condition of the nervous system. At its worst, it can kill. The highest risk of severe symptoms caused by campylobacter poisoning is to the under-fives and older people. More than 1,000 people were so ill because of campylobacter last year they ended up needing to receive hospital treatment. Most survived, but not all. Campylobacter can kill. How do you get it? About four in five cases of campylobacter poisoning in the UK come from contaminated poultry. One of the main ways to get and spread campylobacter is through cross-contamination. 60+ Age groups most at risk 1,000 hospitalisations 4 in 5 cases come from contaminated poultry Washing raw chicken can actually spread campylobacter by splashing it onto hands, work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment.

6 how it affects you What you can do to avoid campylobacter 1. Cover and chill raw chicken Cover raw chicken and store at the bottom of the fridge so juices cannot drip on to other foods and contaminate them with food poisoning bacteria such as campylobacter. 2. Don t wash raw chicken Thorough cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter, while washing chicken can spread germs around the kitchen by splashing. 3. Wash used utensils The FSA is also monitoring the food industry s efforts to tackle the problem. Over the next year we will release the results of tests carried out on about 1,000 samples of chicken being sold by UK retailers on a quarterly basis. In 2015, we will publish a statistical analysis of results from a whole year s sampling. The information published for each sample will include details about where the chicken was bought, the abattoir that processed it, whether or not the sample contained campylobacter and, if so, how heavily it was contaminated. Spread the word, not the germs! Thoroughly wash and clean all utensils, chopping boards and surfaces used to prepare raw chicken. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling raw chicken. This helps stop the spread of campylobacter by avoiding cross contamination. 4. Cook chicken thoroughly Make sure chicken is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Cut into the thickest part of the meat and check that it is steaming hot with no pink meat and that the juices run clear. We ll be publicising these messages during Food Safety Week (16 22 June). You can help us by passing the message on. Don t wash raw chicken Help protect yourself and your family from food poisoning bugs such as campylobacter by using our simple food safety tips. Campylobacter is the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK.

7 the science Campylobacter is the generic name for a number of species of bacteria that can cause food poisoning in people. They cause more cases of food poisoning in the UK than salmonella, E. coli and listeria combined. Campylobacter bacteria are commonly found on poultry meat. Between 50% and 80% of cases of campylobacter food poisoning in the UK and other EU countries can be attributed to poultry sources, mostly to raw poultry meat. 1 An FSA survey in (2007 8) 2 indicated that 65% of chicken on sale in UK shops was contaminated with campylobacter. A new FSA survey will update this figure in A quantitative risk assessment based on data from four countries concluded that there is a direct relationship between the prevalence of campylobacter in broiler flocks and public health risk, meaning that reducing the level of contamination on poultry meat should result in a reduction in human disease 3. The amount of campylobacter present on poultry is measured in terms of the number of bacteria on a given weight of skin, expressed technically as colony forming units per gram (cfu/g). A recent Dutch study 4 concluded that limiting the level of campylobacter on poultry to below 1,000 cfu/g could be expected to deliver a significant reduction in the risk of humans contracting campylobacter poisoning. Since 2009 the FSA has been working with industry to tackle campylobacter in poultry through a Joint Working Group (JWG). The JWG agreed a target to reduce the percentage of chickens with more than 1000 cfu/g at the end of the slaughter process, from 27% in 2008 to 19% by 2013, and to 10% by Monitoring suggests there has been no evidence of a change in the proportion of most highly contaminated birds since % 80% food poisoning is from raw meat 65% of chicken is still contaminated 1. Scientific Opinion on Quantification of the risk posed by broiler meat to human campylobacteriosis in the EU (adopted 9 December 2009) EFSA Journal 2011; 9(4): Reports/2013/juni/Microbiological_criteria_as_a_decision_tool_for_ controlling_campylobacter_in_the_broiler_meat_chain

8 the science The appliance of science There is currently no silver bullet solution to the problem of campylobacter in chicken. Some surface antimicrobial treatments that can reduce the level of surface contamination (such as lactic acid, chlorine compounds or peroxyacetic acid) have been tried in the UK and in other countries and found to have some benefit, but none is yet approved for use on poultry within the EU. A novel process of chilling the surface of birds with extremely cold gases appears to offer worthwhile reductions in campylobacter numbers. Trials of a prototype machine at near commercial scale are taking place. We are also asking retailers to develop packaging solutions that reduce campylobacter during storage and in the kitchen, and to help educate their customers on cooking poultry safely. Since 2010, the FSA has committed 5.1 million to support research underpinning work in this area. Spread the word, not the germs! 5.1 million committed to campylobacter research by the FSA The FSA expects farmers and producers to maximise the effectiveness of biosecurity, working through third party assurance schemes to drive a change in culture at all levels in these businesses. To assist slaughterhouses and processors, we will work to address any regulatory barriers that might prevent the adoption of new technologies that are effective in reducing surface contamination, such as surface chilling, antimicrobial washes or other techniques.