September 4, 2023

Chicken meat from Poland suspected to cause human illnesses in multiple countries

More than 130 people have fallen sick in 11 countries with contaminated chicken meat from Poland suspected as being the source of infection.

An analysis by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) focused on two sub-clusters of Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type (ST) 11 with 134 cases mostly reported between January and August 2023. This Salmonella Enteritidis sequence type is the most frequently detected in Europe.

In Denmark, the majority of 19 interviewed cases reported consumption of kebab or pizza that may have had chicken as an ingredient, before developing symptoms. In Austria, two of five interviewed patients reported eating chicken kebabs within seven days before the onset of symptoms and two sick people ate other dishes such as chicken burrito and chicken schnitzel.

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (Fødevarestyrelsen) found salmonella in a batch of frozen chicken kebab meat from Poland, which was withdrawn from the market.

Further tests found it was the same type of salmonella that sickened people in Denmark from May to August. Frozen chicken kebab products were mainly sold to restaurants.

Fødevarestyrelsen said it would intensify scrutiny on other batches of chicken products from Poland to ensure they are not contaminated with salmonella.

- Food Safety News