As reported by thebureauinvestigates.com, in a letter sent in December to the European Commission and the Chief Veterinary Inspectorate, British officials expressed concern about the lack of control of the disease in the case of contaminated meat and eggs exported from Poland to the UK.
Polish chickens ‘risk to health’
“Because of significant risk to public health “We are considering the options available to us to protect British consumers,” reads the letter from Food Standards Agency (FSA) chief executive Emily Miles and chief British veterinarian Christine Middlemiss. It mentioned consideration of potential “protective measures” in the context of problematic products.
As reported by TBIJ and ITV News, the letter highlights the increase in the number of salmonella cases detected in Polish poultry since the last time the issue was raised.
The FSA intervened less than a year after the TBIJ and ITV investigation were linked main Polish supplier of chicken with the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. It also follows more recent warnings about salmonella in the UK and Europe.
Contaminated Polish poultry. FSA warns
In December 2023, the FSA told UK consumers to “they were careful” when handling chilled and frozen chicken and turkey. The warning was issued following the results of a study which found multiple strains of salmonella in Polish poultry products imported into the UK.
Polish poultry has been linked to over 100 EU-wide alerts food safety issues, most of which concerned salmonella contamination.
Salmonella is not the only problem for Polish chickens. High concentrations of antibiotics have also been detected in our domestic poultry.
Polish chickens on antibiotics. “It’s frustrating”
The portal draws attention to the continued use of veterinary antibiotics in Poland, despite concerns about the health effects of overuse of such drugs in animal production.
In 2022, some classes of extremely important antibiotics will be sold increased compared to other EU countries, which limited their use on farms. Richard Griffiths, chief executive of the British Poultry Council (BPC), said The link between antibiotic-resistant salmonella and contaminated products from Poland “raises serious concerns“.
– UK poultry producers have worked hard to build a food system that people trust and value, ensuring high standards from farm to fork – he stated. – BPC members have reduced the use of antibiotics by almost 80 percent and follow rigorous regulatory processes when it comes to salmonella control. This frustrating that Poland is unable to do the same – he emphasized in a statement for TBIJ.
Genetically modified chickens live under stress and crowding
– In the case of chickens raised for meat, the animals are in poor health long-term genetic selectionbig stress i crowding prevailing in hen houses – noted the expert in a statement for Dziennik.pl.
Poland is at the forefront of poultry farmers. With antibiotics
As one of the few European countries, Poland still uses more and more antibiotics in breeding farms.
– We are the largest producer of poultry meat in the EU, the number of chickens per year is already about 1.5 billion. However, the increase in consumption is not only a matter of increasing production, because, according to the European Medicines Agency, we also maintain second place after applying the appropriate conversion factor per kilogram of animal body weight. – Monika Kowalska told our editorial office.
She added that the rapid growth of Polish chickens is also problematic. – The vast majority of these animals are genetically programmed breeds unnatural rapid growthbecause slaughter takes place after only 6 weeks of life – explained the expert, emphasizing that the most frequently bred breeds of chickens are the Ross 308 type, which are particularly susceptible to diseases caused by low immunity and high sensitivity of the body.
Slower growth, healthier hens
– Transition to breeding slower-growing breeds means up to six times less antibiotic use – said a member of Open Cages and mentioned the example of the Netherlands.
It should be emphasized that in 2023, as part of a study conducted by Biostat, 79.7% of Poles admitted that, in their opinion, the conditions in which animals raised for meat live influence the amount of antibiotics used in breeding. – This shows that consumers are aware of the relationship between animal welfare and risks to humans– concluded Monika Kowalska.