A leading health expert has said that chicken and eggs are safe to eat amid the recent Salmonella outbreak.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said it is working closely with the FSAI and the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella after an outbreak of salmonella was discovered. Eight poultry flocks are to be culled so that none will enter the food market.
Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland, Dr June Fanning said there is "nothing to be concerned about", and that people can still buy chicken and eggs safely. She said: "There are intensified controls in place and even the routine controls are there to prevent any infected birds entering the food chain.
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"There's nothing to be concerned about, it's absolutely safe to buy chicken and eggs. In the kitchen, the most important thing is that you don't have the risk of cross-contamination between raw and cooked products.
"It's your basic kitchen hygiene; washing your hands, don't wet or wash raw chicken, use different utensils. Cooking does kill the bacteria," added Dr Fanning.
Meanwhile, Séamus Fanning, Professor of Food Safety and Director of the Centre for Food Safety at UCD has also assured the public that there "is no risk here" as consumers are protected due to existing measures. He told RTE News: "The food chain is protected so consumers are protected, so there's no risk here.
"t's good news that it's been found and it shows that the controls that we have around our food chain are very effective," he added.
Symptoms of Salmonella
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that live in the intestinal tract of some warm-blooded animals, which may also effect humans. Animals can become infected through direct contact with other infected animals, food or water, while humans can get it from poor food hygiene and contaminated food.
Here are the symptoms associated with salmonella according to the HSE:
- Diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody.
- Fever/temperature
- Headache
- Stomach cramps
The illness usually lasts four to seven days, with babies, elderly and those with compromised immune systems more likely to have a severe illness.
How to avoid Salmonella
There are several steps that you can do at home when preparing chicken and other products to keep you safe from Salmonella.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling raw chicken
- Wash any utensils or work surfaces that come into contact with the raw chicken to prevent cross-contamination in your kitchen
- Make sure that your chicken is well-cooked, as in there are no pink meat inside
For more information and advice visit www.hse.ie
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