October 29, 2009

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is taking the lead for the International Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) in developing standards to fight campylobacter in broiler chickens.

The Codex guidelines are often used by international bodies, such as the World Trade Organisation, to settle trade disputes over food safety issues.

New Zealand had the world's highest rate of campylobacter infection, which can be caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry.

NZFSA's science director Steve Hathaway said New Zealand has worked closely with the poultry industry over the past three years and develop campylobacter controls that have reduced the country's infection rate.

In 2006, the effects of major food-borne illnesses cost New Zealand US$86 million in lost productivity, with about 90 percent caused by campylobacter.

Two and a half years later, the NZFSA's campylobacter risk management strategy reduced 50 percent of campylobacter cases, with annual savings estimated to be around US$36 million, said NZFSA.

While New Zealand leads the Codex work on campylobacter, Sweden will lead parallel guidelines for Salmonella. When the combined international standard is completed, countries belonging to Codex will be able to use the guidelines and examples to control the effects of both bacteria in their own poultry industries.

The guidelines are expected to be finalised next year after the CCFH meets in November.