Shops urged to seek salmonella-free foods

All major supermarkets in Ireland have been contacted by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland stressing the need to obtain poultry, particularly eggs, from salmonella-free sources. This is in response to indications that salmonella food poisoning cases are continuing to occur despite the public being fully alerted to the risk of consuming raw eggs or raw egg products.

"Clusters of salmonella cases are continuing to occur," the FSAI chief executive, Dr Patrick Wall, said. "This is worrying. We are continuing to investigate if there is any link. But it suggests that some people in commercial food businesses may be ignoring the risks."

The approach to supermarkets was also prompted by concern that some of the seven major outbreaks of salmonella poisoning over the past six weeks, which resulted in the hospitalisation of 48 out of some 350 cases, may have been caused by the bacterium salmonella typhimurium DT104 occurring in eggs.

If this is proved by further tests, it would be highly unusual, he said. Up to now the germ, which is often resistant to a number of antibiotics, has been associated only with meat, although it has been found to spread to eggs in laboratory conditions.

Salmonella enteritidis is usually associated with eggs, and was implicated in a number of outbreaks in Co Donegal and Co Wicklow which were linked to eggs imported from Northern Ireland. the Department of Agriculture has a strict slaughter-out policy in the Republic where either strain is found in poultry.

While it is never possible to guarantee that produce is salmonella-free, some countries and many Irish producers, including egg-distributors, had controls in place to ensure the bacterium in whatever form is all but eliminated from their stock, Dr Wall said. Many supermarkets are already operating the FSAI guidelines on seeking salmonella-free sources.

It was only pressure by consumers and supermarkets, however, which could ensure that such controls were routine, he added.

In addition, supermarkets needed to realise they had an obligation to ensure any products they sold were not contaminated.

This applied equally to any food business, he said. It included a requirement for down-the-line checks; ensuring food was transported and stored at the right temperature and, if appropriate, prepared/defrosted in the correct manner.

The FSAI is also concerned that after public awareness about salmonella risks outbreaks continued to occur well after the initial ones. This suggested the public was not responsible for the problem, but rather poor hygiene practice in catering establishments such as hotels, restaurants and institutions.