January 24, 2007

 

One in six German broiler flocks infected with salmonella
 

 

One in six broiler flocks in Germany is infected with salmonella, according to a pilot survey by the country's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

 

BfR conducted the study as part of the European Commission's programme to reduce pathogens in poultry meat.

 

The study found that the observed infection rate in broiler chickens was 17.5 per cent, and puts Germany in the upper range among EU members.

 

BfR says the results of the German study confirm that chicken meat can be a major source of foodborne infections.

 

The one-year study looked at a total of 408 flocks in all federal states with broilers. The samples were taken from flocks with between 750 and 24,000 chickens. The data from 378 flocks from farms with at least 5,000 chickens were then evaluated.

 

The BfR scientists identified 18 different types of salmonella in the tested chickens , a broader range of pathogens than in laying hen stocks which were examined in a similar study in 2004 and 2005.

 

The study on broilers also found the pathogen strains S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium, ones that are frequently detected in human salmonellosis cases in Germany, the BfR stated.

 

The study also examined the resistance of the salmonella species. Some of the pathogens were not sensitive to up to 10 of the 17 antimicrobial substances examined, the BfR stated.

 

The results of the study will be passed on to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for evaluation along with data from other EU member states. The goal is to develop a joint European strategy to control zoonotic agents and reduce Salmonella in poultry flocks.

 

The EU produces about 8 million tonnes of broiler meat a year, making it the second most consumed meat in the EU.

 

Last August the European Commission set targets for member states to meet in reducing the presence of Salmonella in poultry, and has proposed trade bans on eggs from flocks with persistent high levels of the pathogen.

 

Luxembourg and Sweden had the lowest levels. The highest rates, ranging from 52 per cent to 80 per cent of holdings, were found in Portugal, Poland and the Czech Republic.

 

The first target deadline for incremental reduction falls in 2008. The ultimate target is to achieve a reduction in Salmonella levels to two per cent or less.

 

The EU's current Zoonoses Regulation, aims to ban completely the retail sale of eggs from Salmonella-infected flocks by 2010. Eggs will have to undergo a sterilisation procedure if they are to be used for processing into egg products.

The second regulation sets out rules on the methods used to control Salmonella in poultry, including a requirement for mandatory vaccination from 1 January 2008 onwards for laying hens in states with a Salmonella prevalence of 10 percent or more.

 

National authorities may request for an exemption provided satisfactory preventive measures are being applied.