Food poisoning rise linked to undercooked

offal
Campylobacter contamination has risen significantly in the last four years after reductions in the early
part of the decade
James Meikle
Friday 3 December 2010 18.39GMT

Chefs and consumers have been told to ensure trendy chicken liver dishes have been
properly cooked following a worrying rise in food poisoning linked to hotel and restaurant
meals.
People following magazine recipes for the Christmas season have also been warned by
government agencies not to leave pink meat in livers or other offal when they prepare pt
or parfait dishes.
The Food Standards Agency(FSA)has had to repeat advice to caterers first issued in July
because there has been no drop in outbreaks linked to the campylobacter bug, the
commonest cause of intestinal disease.
Data from the Health Protection Agency(HPA) says 11 of 15 food poisoning outbreaks at
hotels or restaurants in England and Wales so far this year have been associated with such
poultry dishes.
This is well up on previous years. Food poisoning through campylobacter contamination
generally has risen significantly in the last four years after reductions in the early part of
the decade. There were 57,772 cases confirmed in 2009, and figures indicate that this may
rise by about 10% this year. The FSA says an estimated two-thirds of shop-bought chicken
is contaminated with the bug.
The food agency estimates there may be five times that number of unreported or
unconfirmed cases, with an estimated 15,000 cases resulting in people needing hospital
treatment. Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pains and cramps, fever, and
generally feeling unwell. They can take up to 10 days to develop and be caused by poor
hygiene as well as improperly cooked food.
Dilys Morgan, head of gastrointestinal, emerging and zoonotic infections at the HPA, said:
"It has become apparent that chicken liver pt and parfait is being served more frequently.
The product is also being promoted in Christmas recipes published in magazines and the
instructions do not always stress clearly enough how very important it is to ensure that

livers are cooked sufficiently to kill the campylobacter. The public and the catering
industry need to be aware that undercooking this product, allowing the centre to remain
pink, can result in food poisoning."
Morgan added: "Food poisoning is an unpleasant experience for most people but for those
with underlying health conditions it can be extremely serious."
The HPA says that of 16 foodborne outbreaks of campylobacter infection in 2010, 15 were
associated with catering premises and one with a school. In all 357 people were affected,
with nine hospitalised.
Eleven were linked to poultry liver parfait or pt consumption (ten prepared from chicken
livers and one from duck livers). Eight of these were linked to hotels, with four associated
with catering at weddings, two to restaurants and one to a club.
The food agency said liver, kidneys and other offal should be handled hygienically to avoid
cross-contamination and cooked through until "steaming hot". Centres should reach 70C
for two minutes or equivalent times and temperatures, 65C for 10 minutes, 75C for 30
seconds or 80C for six seconds.
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Topics
Food safety Food & drink Health Food & drink industry
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