Is it safe to eat pork and pork products ?

Is it safe to eat pork and pork products ?

 

Last weekend the Food Standards Agency advised consumers not to eat pork, or products where pork is the main ingredient, that are labelled as being from the Irish Republic or Northern Ireland. This included food such as sausages, bacon, salami and ham. This advice followed an announcement by the Irish Government that dioxins and PCBs had been found in pigs slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland that had eaten contaminated feed. Dioxins and PCBs are chemicals that get into food from the environment. They are associated with a range of health effects when people take in relatively high levels in food over a long period.

Reassurance from Dr Andrew Wadge, FSA Chief Scientist, was offered. ’The risk to UK consumers is very low. This is because you would need to eat large quantities of the chemical over a long period of time for there to be any risk to your health.’

A lot can change in a week and the advice now is that it is safe to eat eat pork and pork products from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The change in advice is due to measures now in place to ensure that only pork unaffected by contaminated feed reach the consumer .

 

Any pork on UK shelves will have been approved for sale. In the case of pork products (pizza, sandwiches, meat sauces etc); if these contain less than 20% of Irish pork they do not have to be tested or withdrawn from sale. In the instance of pork pies, sausages and other products that contains more than 20% of Irish pork from affected farms, the food business selling them are to make sure that they don’t contain illegal levels of dioxins. Food businesses need to satisfy themselves and demonstrate to local authorities that any pork on sale is unaffected.

 

Food Standards Agency Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Wadge said: ‘Consumers can be reassured that systems are in place, so we can buy pork from Northern Ireland and now the Republic of Ireland with confidence. We have worked together with food businesses and local authorities to make sure that the appropriate checks are being carried out.’

 

In answering the question, its a personal choice – particularly in the case of pork products. Pork meat on sale will have been approved and only come from unaffected farms, but the onus of checking whether pork products are safe has been left to the food businesses and local authorities, presumably because it carries a lower risk in terms of quantities eaten and subsequent levels of chemicals ingested. Further information is available on the FSA website, so that you can make up your own mind, see www.food.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/2008/dec/pork

 

Enjoy Bug Free Brussels and Pesticide Free Parsnips this Christmas!

Enjoy Bug Free Brussels and Pesticide Free Parsnips this Christmas!

With Christmas festivities just around the corner, food safety may not be at the top of your Christmas agenda!  However, Christmas is a time when families and friends traditionally get together either at home or in restaurants. Catering for large numbers always increases the risk of food poisoning, and good food hygiene is essential to stop this happy occasion turning into a miserable one! 

The Food Standards Agency reports that ten million turkeys are sold during the festive season and studies show that 20% of food poisoning outbreaks are poultry related, with December being the most common month.  Although turkey is an important source of food poisoning there are a number of other things that could go wrong on the food front.

Are your guests allergic to any foods?

Are you sure that you are clear if there are any hidden allergens in the food you’re preparing? Christmas is often a time for the menu to go nuts literally – chestnuts, marzipan in hidden places,  cherries in kirsch with almonds, speciality jam with almonds (often in apricot jam), wheat, milk and soya in festive products.

How safe is your buffet?

If you are having a party or a buffet, don’t leave food out for more than four hours.  Only bring out as much food as you need.  You can always add food as the evening goes by rather than leaving large quantities of food out for long periods.

Is your salad germ-free?

Salads and vegetables eaten raw are often forgotten as being a possible vehicle of food poisoning in the many web pages devoted to food safety at Christmas. 

One of the biggest E.coli outbreaks in recent years was caused by fresh spinach.  In September 2006, bagged fresh baby spinach sold by the Dole Food Company was linked to an E. coli 0157 outbreak that was blamed for the deaths of three people and illness in over 200 others.  Since then, several other recalls of E. coli contaminated lettuce and other greens have made headlines. 

How you wash produce is all important. I commissioned independent research into the efficacy of plain water, chlorine tablets and Fit Wash (a natural produce wash) on behalf of a client.

 

I found that Fit Wash effectively killed pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, E.coli 0157 and Listeria monocytogenes on the salad and fruit that it was tested on whereas there were plenty left when just water was used. Overall it proved to be more effective than traditionally used chlorine (which has all the disadvantages of adding chemicals to food). Fit Wash also removes pesticides and waxes, so you can have wax free lemons for your gin and tonic!

 

If you would like a free trial sachet of Fit Wash Powder click here or contact us on 01727  866779.

 

Do you want some top turkey tips?

 

At Home

De-clutter your fridge! Get rid of old food, make way for the new. If you are short of space, your condiments and jams can survive for a few days out of refrigeration to make way for more high risk items such as ham, pate, soft cheeses and of course, turkey left-overs!

Don’t waste valuable space by putting your drinks in the fridge.  You can always store these outside or add ice!

Don’t wash your turkey before cooking – bacteria can splash onto worktops, dishes and other food. Proper cooking will kill any bacteria, so you do not need to wash poultry.

Ensure that frozen turkeys are thoroughly defrosted prior to cooking.

Don’t forget to remove the giblets and cook your stuffing separately rather than stuffing the bird!

Make sure your turkey is thoroughly cooked.  The Food Standards Agency Cooking Guidelines are as follows:

As a general guide, in an oven preheated to 180ºC (350ºF, Gas Mark 4):

·         for a turkey under 4.5kg, allow 45 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes

·         for a turkey weighing between 4.5kg and 6.5kg, allow 40 minutes per kg

·         for a turkey over 6.5kg, allow 35 minutes per kg

 

Ensure that any turkey leftovers are placed in the refrigerator within 90 minutes. Use the leftovers within 48 hours and if you are reheating, ensure that it is piping hot prior to serving.

 

In Restaurants

Store raw meats and poultry apart. You should have a separate refrigerator for raw meat/poultry but if not store raw meat/poultry at the bottom, covered and away from ready to eat foods.

Check the temperatures of your refrigerators and freezers at least twice a day and keep a record of the checks.

Use a probe thermometer to check that foods are cooked thoroughly to over 75^oC.  Place the probe in the thickest part of the bird.

Serve cooked food immediately or keep it hot above 63°C until it is ready to be served.

Cool foods for no longer than 90 minutes before placing in the refrigerator.  Active cooling such as placing food in shallow containers, portioning food, stirring or placing in an ice water bath will decrease the cooling time at room temperature.

 

And finally (if I’ve not scared you too much!) I would like to wish you a safe and Happy Christmas and New Year!