Germs in poultry meat Detected hygiene deficiencies in slaughterhouses lead to intestinal diseases

Increasingly, inspectors discover pathogenic germs in poultry meat. Due to a specific germ, the number of intestinal diseases in Germany has steadily increased in the last ten years. This is reported by the mirror in its latest issue. The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) in Berlin also sounds an alarm and warns against the constantly growing consequences.

According to Spiegel research, every year about 71,000 people contract the Campylobacter germ. The pathogens are usually transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat. In 2004, it was officially 55,803. The result of a request of the parliamentary group Alliance 90 / The Greens to the Federal Government.

Germinated chicken meat causes more intestinal disease. Image: Alexander Raths - fotolia

Apparently too low hygiene in German slaughterhouses
According to the Ministry of Health, the reason for the increased infectious event is "poor hygiene in the slaughterhouses". With controls, more and more "infected meat" is detected. In 2013, the germ was detected on more than half of the examined chickens. In 2011, more than 40 percent of the broilers analyzed in the laboratory were the case. "This is an alarming condition. Pathogens are transmitted from the animal to humans through poor slaughter hygiene, "quotes the" Spiegel "the agricultural policy spokesman of the Green Party, Friedrich Ostendorff. The Federal Ministry of Health was also in agreement. According to this, it is "absolutely necessary to consistently implement the hygiene regulations in the companies".

Of particular concern is the observed increase in the contamination of carcases of broilers with Campylobacter bacteria. While the bacteria were detected in the zoonotic monitoring in 2011 at just under 41 percent of broilers, the proportion of contaminated samples in 2013 was just over 52 percent.

Abdominal pain, diarrhea and even deaths
The Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) in Berlin pointed out in March of this year before the dangers of contaminated poultry meat. "Given the high number of human illnesses associated with Campylobacter infection, there is a need for action from the point of view of consumer health protection," says the BVL. Symptoms of Campylobacter include symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In immunocompromised patients, a chronic course threatens and the infection can lead to death in the worst case. (Sb)