Low levels of contamination found in ready-to-eat speciality meats sold in UK

The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) report that a new multiagency year long study has highlighted that 99% of ready-to-eat speciality meats sold in the UK are safe to eat. However the study also reveals that a very small proportion of the meats contained Salmonella or unsafe levels of Listeria monocytogenes. A total of 2359 ready-to-eat speciality meat samples (continental sausages, cured/fermented, and dried meats) were collected from markets and specialist food shops in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The samples were tested for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, other Listeria, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. coli. A very small number were found to be contaminated with Salmonella or high levels of Listeria monocytogenes.

The full report can be found on the Health Protection Agency's website at http://www.hpa.org.uk/foodsampling