§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will specify the evidence available to him indicating that salmonella can multiply in intact grade A eggs kept at room temperatures for a period not longer than five days.
§ Mr. MacleanPublished research undertaken by the public health laboratory service showed that salmonella inoculated into whole shell eggs multiplied at room temperature. This implies that any salmonella present in intact shell eggs might also be able to multiply but research continues to investigate the factors which govern the multiplication of salmonella in shell eggs.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what basis the compensation for birds compulsorily slaughtered under the Zoonoses Order 1989 and the Animal Health Act 1981 is calculated.
§ Mr. MacleanI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to her on 5 March(Official Report, column 498) and, in 230W addition, to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 26 March (Official Report, columns 54-55), which explain changes to the arrangements for the disposal of birds from salmonella-infected laying and breeding flocks.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment was made of the levels of employment in meat processing plants in the formulation of his policy on compulsory slaughter of salmonella-affected chickens.
§ Mr. MacleanNo specific assessment of this kind has been made. As announced in the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 26 March(Official Report, columns 54-55), birds from salmonella-infected laying and breeding flocks are to be sent for processing subject to strict safeguards.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of salmonella contamination in bulk liquid eggs, expressed in numbers of bacteria per gram, is likely to cause a liquid egg pasteurisation process to fail.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Liquid Egg (Pasteurisation) Regulations 1963 require pasteurised egg to pass the alpha-amylase test specified in the regulations. This test is not affected by the presence of salmonella.
§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the level of contamination by salmonella of grade A eggs produced by farms which are subject to infected place notices under the Zoonoses Order 1989 is such as would overwhelm a pasteurisation process.
§ Mr. MacleanI refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 12 March 1990,Official Report, column 78. The pasteurisation process is never totally effective at destroying all salmonella and the risk remains that some salmonella may survive the process.