One in 10 salads has poisonous bacteria
Pastor Dale Morgan
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One in 10 salads has poisonous bacteria*
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 22/07/2007
Food safety experts are calling for stricter production controls on
ready-to-eat salads after tests revealed that many contain bacteria
which can cause potentially deadly food poisoning.
A report compiled by the government's Health Protection Agency (HPA),
found that one in 10 pre-packaged salads containing meat or seafood was
contaminated with the listeria bacteria. Evidence of E. coli and
salmonella was found in some bags of salad.
The HPA report, which involved testing more than 2,600 ready-to-eat
salads, concluded that the control of bacteria in food manufacturing and
in shops was essential to minimise the potential for hazardous food
contamination.
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Food poisoning due to contaminated salad is still rare. The HPA has
recorded two notable outbreaks in the past two years, although only the
most serious cases that result in hospitalisation will be reported.
David Barney, from the Fresh Prepared Salad Producers Group which
represents the industry in the UK, said that the washing and preparation
procedures used by producers removed far more bacteria than consumers
could in their homes.
The UK pre-packed salad market is worth more than £300 million a year.