I was pleased to learn that the European Commission is to authorise the use of lactic acid for the surface decontamination of bovine carcasses, with effect from 25 February. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a favourable risk assessment on the use of lactic acid on beef carcasses in 2011. Theseindependent scientists have agreed there are no adverse food safety issues in this use. As an additional tool in the toolkit – and not, of course, as a substitute for good hygienic practices and operating procedures which all operators have to apply – it will help reduce the contamination of the main pathogens found on the surface of bovine carcasses,Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC) and salmonella.
In Europe we should be more open to technology and innovation that can further improve food safety and protect public health. The approval of lactic acid washes on beef is a positive outcome, but we now need agreement for the use of such tools extended to tackle the problem of campylobacter on chicken carcasses to reduce the huge burden of illness from human campylobacteriosis. EFSA estimates an annual incidence of 9 million cases of human campylobacteriosis across the EU, so this is a major public health issue.
We are working with the UK poultry industry and retailers on an integrated farm-to-fork approach, to identify and implement a range of interventions to reduce campylobacter in chicken. Other new treatments also show promise, such as the use of rapid surface chilling processes that reduce campylobacter by exposing the surface of the meat to a very cold environment for a very short period of time. We are working closely with Defra and the European Commission to check whether the use of this process would affect how poultrymeat can be marketed.