June 6, 2006

 

Denmark detects at least 10 cases of salmonella in German poultry

 

 

Denmark has discovered 10 reported cases of salmonella found in German poultry sold in Danish supermarkets, a veterinary official said Monday (Jun 5).

 

The country is now considering laws to stop meat infected with the bacteria from being imported from other EU countries, said Henrik Jensen, deputy head of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration.

 

Such products are allowed under EU regulations as people are expected to cook raw meat before they eat it, and cooking kills salmonella, Jensen said.

 

Newspaper Politiken over the weekend said it tested 10 packages of turkey from a German slaughterhouse, and found all carried the bacteria.

 

German authorities have been alerted about the contaminated products.

 

The report has prompted calls for new legislation to stop imports of EU products infected with salmonella.

 

35,000 Danes became ill with salmonella last year and 20 of them died.

 

Salmonella is often present in poultry and eggs and from food that has been cooked or frozen, and not eaten straight away.

 

Its presence in poultry and eggs have been greatly reduced with new production methods and vaccination.

 

In March 2006, The New York Times reported that the US government said that 16.3 percent of all chickens were contaminated with salmonella. Other salmonella species also cause severe diseases in animals other than human beings.