Campylobacter in season
Photo: Colourbox.
Poultrymeat may contain the Campylobacter-bacteria, especially in summer. Be sure to prepare your food right and take proper care with hygiene, for example at the barbeque.
Campylobacteriosis is the most commonly reported foodborne bacterial infection in Norway. The most common symptom is diorrhea. You can obtain the bacteria by eating contaminated poultrymeat.
The National Veterinary Institute cooperates with the Norwegian Food Authority and the poultry-industry to monitor all poultryflocks which are going to be slaughtered in Norway. The flocks are tested for the campylobacter bacteria four days previous to being slaughtered. Flocks which are positive for the bacteria are frozen for a minimum of three weeks or heattreated which reduces the bacteria-level dramatically.
- The tests show that in 2007 only 5,7% of the flocks were positive for campylobacter, says head of section Merete Hofshagen. This is much lower than for example countries in the southern part of Europe where one estimates the well over 50% of the flocks are contaminated. Aproximately one of four producers of Norwegian poultrymeat had one or more positive flocks in 2007.
