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Imported poultry not as safe as Danish poultry
The Denmark Food Authority announced that an EU ruling will soon allow
Denmark to ban imports of salmonella-infected food products.
The Serum Institute in Denmark has stated that the worst outbreak of
salmonella in 15 years has afflicted thousands of Danes in just a matter of
weeks. The Food Authority has been testing hundreds of food samples to locate
the source, which is pointing towards pork or poultry. As yet, however, there is
no answer.
It is reported that the authority came under criticism this week when it
was reported that it had failed to carry out more than 200 planned inspections
of meat shipments in 2007.
The authority said that it expects to get permission from the European
Commission by the end of 2008 to stop the importation of salmonella-infected
poultry and eggs, according to Politiken newspaper.
They have apparently spent the past 2 years documenting the low levels of
salmonella in Danish chickens to the commission, so that they can prove that the
imported poultry is not as safe as Danish poultry.
The case is controversial because it would break the EU's principle of the
free market, whereby well-known businesses can freely sell their products to all
member states. The authority is basing its argument on the fact that both Sweden
and Finland, both of which have recorded low salmonella levels, got permission
to refuse salmonella-infected imports when they joined the EU in 1995.
The Food Authority states that there is salmonella in one out of every 60
Danish chickens, while one out of every 7 imported chickens is infected.
According to the authority, the EU has said that if Danish food producers
can bring their salmonella level down to 1-2% in domestic chickens then the same
rules could apply as in Sweden. Denmark's salmonella level in domestic poultry
lies close to the boundaries.
Source: Denmark.dk
Editor WorldPoultry
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