New Zealand Salmonella Plan

According to figures from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) there are 30.2 cases of Salmonella for every 100,000 New Zealanders. The NZFSA has introduced a plan to reduce this figure.

NZFSA Principal Advisor (Risk Management) Judi Lee says “Salmonella is recognised as one of the 3 most important pathogens in New Zealand, second only to Campylobacter. That’s why NZFSA has earmarked this disease as one of its key strategic priorities. We aim to achieve a 30% reduction in the annual incidence of foodborne salmonellosis after 5 years.”

“The early stages of the new strategy will focus on intelligence gathering from a wide range of domestic food sectors and imported foods to try to identify the main sources of foodborne disease. This information will provide a sound scientific basis for pinpointing where in the food chain we need to take action.”

“Many of the primary processing industries hold a significant amount of data on Salmonella, as do some of the major retailing chains. NZFSA will be collaborating with a wide range of food sectors to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of Salmonella in food. This information will help us decide what controls are required.”

For more information about the new strategy go to www.nzfsa.govt.nz