Campylobacter is far from a unique Danish problem. Compared to other countries, Denmark has come far in the battle against campylobacter.
Since 2003, Denmark has had a voluntary strategy in the battle against campylobacter in foodstuffs. The effort was worthwhile. There has been a major decline in cases of campylobacter in poultry.
The plan to fight campylobacter
In May 2008, the Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries launched a plan for the industry and authorities in the battle against campylobacter. The goal is to reduce the risk of falling ill with campylobacter.
The plan will attempt to ensure that there are fewer campylobacter bacteria in Danish poultry herds and in Danish and imported poultry. An effort will, among other things, be made to:
- Develop a shield against insects in order to protect poultry against insects that may spread campylobacter
- Optimise the selection of poultry based on whether or not they are infected with campylobacter
- Incorporate the steam-ultrasonic method in poultry slaughterhouses
- Provide the consumers with information on kitchen hygiene
- Reduce the risk of campylobacter in imported meat
The case-by-case control
Since 2006, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has kept intense check on both Danish and imported meat – the case-by-case control. The control is based on the EU Foodstuff Ordinance’s article 14, which provided the opportunity to forbid the selling of foodstuffs considered dangerous. The National Food Institute at the Danish technical College will conduct a specific risk assessment to determine whether a shipment of foodstuff is dangerous.
Additional surveillance
Besides the case-by-case control, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration also observes incidents of campylobacter infected poultry, namely observation on Danish refrigerated poultry at the two largest poultry slaughterhouses in Denmark and observation of refrigerated and frozen poultry – both Danish and imported – in wholesale and detail all over the country