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Further action needed on campylobacter, consumers say
raw chicken
Three quarters of consumers  thought retailers should tell customers what proportion of chickens have the highest level of contamination.
FSA survey shows consumers want the industry to do more

Two thirds of consumers think the industry should continue to tackle campylobacter on chickens beyond the current target, according to a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Campylobacter is the biggest cause of food poisoning in the UK, causing around 280,000 cases a year.

Since 2014, the FSA has been sampling fresh whole chilled chickens from major retailers and independent shops. Earlier this year, FSA revealed the percentage of chickens with the highest level of contamination had fallen from 19 per cent to 11 per cent.

The current agreed target is 10 per cent, but 66 per cent of consumers who responded to the FSA's survey said they wanted to see further reductions beyond this.

In addition, three quarters of those questioned thought retailers should tell customers what proportion of chickens have the highest level of contamination.

Seventy-six per cent also wanted retailers to be more proactive in telling them what action is being taken to cut campylobacter levels on their chicken, and more than half (53 per cent) said they would buy chicken from another retailer if their usual shop sold more than the average amount of 'high risk' chicken.

FSA has now resumed its campylobacter survey after it was suspended in April so that methods could be updated. The current survey will run until July 2017, during which time 4,000 fresh whole chilled chickens will be sampled from all major retailers and independent shops. The first set of results is expected in January 2017.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.