Written question asked by Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party) on Tuesday, 18 October 2016, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 October 2016. It was answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford (Conservative) on Tuesday, 25 October 2016 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Food Poisoning: Poultry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of food poisoning in chickens.

Answer: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working with industry to tackle Campylobacter, the most common source of foodborne illness, through the Acting on Campylobacter Together campaign. The FSA has agreed a joint industry target of achieving no more than 10% of birds contaminated at over 1,000 Campylobacter colony forming units per gram (viable cells) at the end of the slaughterhouse line. Using this target, together with the ongoing publication of surveillance results of Campylobacter contamination in fresh whole chickens at retail, the FSA is encouraging industry to implement interventions to reduce contamination levels. This has resulted in a downwards trend of the Campylobacter levels on chickens sold at retail. Additionally, the FSA continues to provide guidance for consumers on the measures that they can take to reduce their risk of spreading and contracting Campylobacter poisoning from raw poultry in the home.

Secondary information