Salmonella was discovered in cooked chicken being imported at Felixstowe, but vigilant port officials were able to stop a potential public health outbreak.
Following 196 incidents, some of which resulted in severe sickness and one death, authorities around the world have been on high alert for Salmonella sub-species mbandaka.
Fortunately, before the shipment of 21,800 kg of cooked chicken left the country, Jose Arruga, an Official Veterinary Surgeon (OVS) of the Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA), discovered the infection.
The East Suffolk Council officers, who were applauded for their actions, decided to inspect the entire batch as it arrived at the busiest container port in the UK and then ordered its destruction.
According to a study by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Salmonella mbandaka has been the cause of infectious outbreaks all over the world, with confirmed instances documented in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, Czechia, and Israel.
19 of them, including 5 who had septicemia, were hospitalized. One person died as a result of 81 cases that began in the UK alone.
According to UK law, all pre-cooked chicken must be fully free of Salmonella because consumers are not expected to prepare it as thoroughly as raw chicken is, Mr. Arruga said.
To prevent the spread of Salmonella mbandaka, “we have ordered the destruction of this consignment and increased our checks.”
To prevent the spread of Salmonella mbandaka, “we have ordered the destruction of this consignment and increased our checks.”
When doing routine inspections, the SCPHA team discovered Salmonella in a previous shipment of chicken from the same plant. As a response, it increased inspections of all imports from the location.
Although Mr. Arruga discovered no physical problems with the factory’s subsequent export to Felixstowe when he examined it, laboratory tests on a sample revealed Salmonella mbandaka.
“According to instructions from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), we must wait for up to 30 imports of this product from the disputed site to be free of contamination before resuming routine inspections.
“The cause could be as straightforward as contaminated factory equipment or a larger problem.”
Salmonella mbandaka can cause fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for a few days in most people, but it can also seriously injure the old and weak, according to Mr. Arruga.
Tina Potter, the head of incidents at the Food Standards Agency, hailed and applauded the SCPHA’s effective interception of the shipment of contaminated cooked chicken.