§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the change in the occurrence of food poisoning which can be attributed to the slaughter and handling of meat at abattoirs since the introduction of the EC meat hygiene regulations in 1992. [17953]
§ Mrs. BrowningA number of organisms, such as escherichia coli 0157:H7, some salmonella serotypes and listeria monocytogenes have been implicated in food poisoning incidents associated with the consumption of meat and meat products. In most cases of this kind, it is not possible to trace the meat back to the abattoir of origin.
Thorough cooking will destroy most, if not all, pathogenic micro-organisms, but steps must be taken at every stage of production to limit the risk of contamination of the unprocessed product because of the hazards associated with cross-infection and light cooking. The most appropriate point to address the problem of contamination with pathogenic organisms is in the slaughter hall, a critical control point in the chain of production where a number of conditions of animal and public health significance can be detected.
The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992 have improved hygiene standards generally in slaughterhouses and other licensed fresh meat premises but it is not possible to assess whether the occurrence of food poisoning has changed as a result of their introduction.