The results of a study carried out over a 12-month period with the aim of examining the frequency of the pathogens are now available. Salmonella and Campylobacter in Icelandic fresh chicken products on the market.
The premise of the study was that Iceland has now adopted most of the food rules and EU food legislation, so it is clear that the import of fresh meat products to Iceland could become a reality, but so far the government has banned such imports. Therefore, there was a need to gather data to assess the safety status of Icelandic fresh products on the market with regard to microbial contamination, and chicken manure was selected where the contamination of these pathogens is most prevalent.
Comprehensive data are available on frequencies Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry farming in Iceland and at slaughter in recent years, but there has been a lack of information on the state of affairs in the consumer market. The study took 537 samples from May 2012 to April 2013 from the country's three largest producers. 183 consumer packages of whole chickens, 177 packages of breasts and 177 packages of wings were examined. All the samples in the study turned out to be negative for both Salmonella and Campylobacter. It is therefore clear that the situation in these countries is very good and as good or better than what is happening in other countries.
The report of the study can be found here.
The study was a collaborative project between Matís and Matvælastofnun (MAST).
For further information Eyjólfur Reynisson at Matís.