Supermarket smoked salmon burdened with germs

In many cases, smoked salmon from the supermarket is contaminated with bacteria

19.12.2011, 20.12.2011

A food study commissioned by the Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) has shown that cheap offered smoked salmon from the supermarket is often contaminated with germs. As were also classified some premium grades. According to the investigation, most of the goods should no longer be sold and still land on the shelves.

If smoked salmon was still expensive many years ago, the market is now flooded with salmon from breeding. Smoked salmon costs partly in some discounters under three euro. How high can the quality standards be at such a low price? Apparently, the smoked salmon, despite the observed best before date in Germany is often inedible.

Inedible salmon in Germany's supermarkets
Journalists of the NDR consumer magazine „market“ have instructed food experts to take cheap and expensive salmon from supermarkets and discounters closer scrutinized under the microscope. Many cheap salmon products as well as premium declared varieties were examined. The results often indicate a very poor quality of the salmon: individual goods were heavily contaminated with bacteria and thus almost spoiled. According to the reporters, the microbiologists suspect that many offered goods from the supermarket actually not more than „edible“ should be classified. Therefore, the smoked salmon would also not be sold.

Some samples massively exceeded the guideline values
The salmon was checked by the supermarket chains Edeka, Lidl, Penny, Rewe, Aldi, Netto and Sky. According to NDR, the inspectors of the KIN food institute in Neumünster took samples from the listed markets. Already at the sensory examination of some samples a foul smell was noticed. In the subsequent microbiological analysis of the ten tested varieties showed a germ load above the legal guidelines. Three smoked salmon articles even showed an exceedance of 300 times the guideline value. According to the magazine, they are salmon merchandise of the chains Netto, Edeka and Penny. Only with a single smoked salmon which is not from a breeding, but was caught wild (wild salmon), the experts could make any complaints. The wild salmon is sold at "Penny". Thus, nine out of ten samples were contaminated with germs. The guideline value was set by the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology. D

Smoked salmon is examined regularly
The Edeka Group emphasized on request that the products were regularly checked. The company Netto said they would use the salmon „at a well-known manufacturer that meets the high quality standards of own brand certification after IFS Food“ Respectively. IFS Food is an internationally valid standard in food quality assurance. Penny rejected the test results. From the sent reports do not show that the test report „agrees with the requested product“. Only in the last month of November 2011, the supermarket chain Netto had recalled the article "Premium smoked salmon, 120 grams" from the trade. In samples, the bacterium Listeria was detected.

Listeria leads to listeriosis
If a higher dose of germs is ingested via food consumption, the disease listeriosis may be triggered. Particularly vulnerable are people with a weakened immune system, such as Chronically ill, pregnant women, elderly people or toddlers. „The symptoms are similar to flu“, say doctors. „Affected then suffer from fever, body aches, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting“. In some cases, listeriosis can be severe. In particular, weakened patients may subsequently contract sepsis (blood poisoning) and / or meningitis (meningitis). In the worst case, patients can die from the consequences. In the context of listeriosis, premature birth or abortion can be triggered in pregnant women. Otherwise, healthy people are less at risk if the ingested dose is low. Full details of the test results will be featured on the television program "Markt" on Monday at 8:15 pm on NDR television. (Sb)

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Image: Henrik Gerold Vogel