FOOD AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

Commission amends regulation on campylobacter in poultry carcasses

The Commission of the European Union (EU) has adopted internationally-accepted testing methods for the evaluation of campylobacter in poultry carcasses.

A study conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the prevalence of campylobacter in poultry broiler carcasses in slaughterhouses found that more than 75 percent were contaminated. Further, the EFSA estimates that the handling, preparation and consumption of poultry broiler meat may account for 20 to 30 percent of human cases of campylobacteriosis in the EU.

In a draft Regulation issued earlier this year, the Commission proposed amending Annex I of its Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 to adopt the testing methods detailed in EN ISO 10272-2 as the reference method for verifying compliance with its requirements for the presence of campylobacter in poultry carcasses.

The final Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in late August, 2017 and is be applicable as of January 1, 2018. It is available here.