AVOID BIRD FLU THROUGH SAFE FOOD HANDLING

In the previous post I mentioned the renewed concern about Avian Flu -
"bird flu" - particularly in certain parts of the world. This is one of those frightening microbes that has crossed the species barrier. It is not only deadly for chickens, ducks and other domestic and wild birds. We humans can get it too - and so can our cats, by the way.

A large number of confirmed human cases are believed to have acquired their infection during the slaughtering, defeathering, cleaning or preparation of diseased or dead birds prior to cooking. So if you happen to live in one of those countries currently experiencing outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry, how do you avoid getting ill?

Here are a few facts which you may want to keep in mind:

• Only healthy-looking birds should be used for consumption. However, some poultry that carry the virus do not appear to be sick. You cannot assume that vaccinated poultry is safe from it.
• The H5N1 avian influenza virus can spread to all parts of an infected bird, including the blood, meat and bones.
• Keep raw meat away from any ready-to-eat foods or items that are eaten raw.
• Always avoid contaminating any surface with raw poultry or its juices: this virus can survive for weeks on a kitchen cutting board or counter.
• Wash your hands and any utensils used on raw poultry very well.
• Remember - refrigeration will not inactivate this virus.
• Cooking poultry at normal temperatures (70 °C) will inactivate H5N1.

To your good health,
TSF

IS BIRD FLU A FOOD SAFETY CONCERN?

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for which I have worked, has just put out a new alert on "bird flu" - correct name "Avian Influenza" . Remember how scared we were of it years ago? And then, we forgot all about it. Now apparently it is on the rise again, especially in Asia.

When I was writing The Safe Food Handbook, I debated whether to include bird flu in the discussion of risks in meat and poultry. In the end I did - because I became convinced that there could indeed be a resurgence of it and the virus could mutate. But the final section on it is very abbreviated because it is not currently considered a food risk in North America.

True, the most common way you can catch this potentially deadly kind of flu (which has about a 60% mortality rate) is not through eating undercooked chicken or other poultry or eggs. Rather, it is through handling diseased birds (including wild ones) or touching their saliva or droppings. And, even through breathing in contaminated dust. Many of the children who have caught it did so when cleaning out poultry cages - a chore I well remember having to do as a child.

But can you ever get it from food? I became very involved in researching this issue, spending weeks on it, reviewing all the global case studies and research I could find. Yes, there have been a limited number of cases recorded where people did catch it from undercooked poultry or dishes made with poultry blood. However, many more have caught it from preparing the raw poultry.

So, how worried should you be if you don't work on a poultry farm - just eat poultry? In general, I would say "not much" especially if you don't live in countries where it is presently most prevalent - Egypt, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia or Vietnam. But with bird migration and the globalization of our food supply, this could change. Occasional cases have indeed occurred elsewhere.

To my knowledge, there has been just one small - and quickly caught - outbreak of this H5N1 virus in the US - on an Idaho pheasant farm (in September 2008).

To your good health,
TSF