Epidemic study puts chicken in dog box

Annette King

Food Safety Minister Annette King says she is seeking immediate advice from officials on what action can be taken to address New Zealand's spiraling campylobacter epidemic.

She is "concerned" over findings that criticise poultry as the leading cause of the disease, and will consider banning the sale of the raw, unfrozen meat altogether.

Campylobacter infections in humans cause severe stomach discomfort, diarrhoea, headaches, sweats, and nausea.

Otago University researchers and scientists released findings at the weekend that showed New Zealand's campylobacter rates were the highest in the world.

In the year to May, there were 15,553 notifications of the disease throughout New Zealand, giving a rate of 416 cases per 100,000 people.

It is three times that of Australia's rate, and 30 times that of the US. Rates in this country have risen steadily for the past 20 years.

Scientists yesterday blamed the sale of fresh, unfrozen chicken in New Zealand. They launched a scathing attack on the industry.

Lead researcher Dr Michael Baker said chicken was the "cheap, dirty food of New Zealand".

Through a spokesman, Ms King said the findings from Otago University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences had to be taken seriously.

The information had come from "very reputable sources".

Ms King would seek advice from a number of officials, including those at the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.

Options available to her were understood to include a ban on the sale of fresh chicken altogether, meaning only cooked or frozen portions could be sold.

She could also ask for tighter regulations and standards relating to the processing of the meat, but the industry would first be consulted so current practices could be established.

Campylobacter occurs naturally in the gut of birds, and chicken meat often becomes contaminated during slaughter and processing.

Cross-contamination with other food, poor hygiene during meal preparation, and the under-cooking of chicken are the leading risk factors for human infection.

Poultry Industry Association executive director Michael Brooks said at the weekend that campylobacter was taken seriously by his organisation.

However, he said there was no evidence of a correlation between an increase in the disease and chicken consumption.

Despite this, Mr Brooks admitted processing methods were being investigated with the help of ESR and the Food Standards Authority.

He added that people would not become infected with the disease if their chicken was cooked properly.

Restaurant Association of New Zealand president Mike Egan said it was time the poultry industry took responsibility for the infected meat it was clearly supplying to the market.

He was "hugely concerned" about the latest findings and those of other studies.

Particularly worrying was the fact that past ESR surveys had found evidence of the disease on packaging.

"We wouldn't accept it [campylobacter] in our fresh veges or other food groups, so why should we accept it in meat?"

Mr Egan said all restaurants would buy in fresh, raw chicken, so a ban on its sale would have some impact.

But in general just 5 per cent of people ordered chicken as their main dish in restaurants, so the industry would find ways to adjust.

He expected infection rates were higher in the home than in restaurants, where much more stringent standards around hygiene were set.