EFSA says no data suggests link between food consumption and avian flu

27/10/05 The presence of H5N1 avian influenza in parts of continental Europe has raised public concern with respect to the safety of poultry products and eggs for human consumption. The European Food Safety Authority has advised however, that there is no evidence to suggest to date that avian influenza can be transmitted to humans through consumption of food, notably poultry and eggs. The European Food Safety Authority further confirms that there should be no change to longstanding food safety advice that poultry products be properly cooked in order to protect consumers from possible risks of food poisoning.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advises that there is no epidemiological information available to date suggesting that avian influenza (AI) - an infectious disease primarily affecting birds - can be transmitted to humans via food. Nevertheless, in view of the developing situation in relation to AI, EFSA’s Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) is keeping this issue under constant review. EFSA concurs with the advice of health authorities such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicating that the most likely route of infection of the H5N1 bird flu virus in humans is through close contact with infected live poultry and not through the consumption of poultry or eggs.

The latter possibility cannot however be excluded. In the European Union, the presence of H5N1 has not been detected in commercial poultry to date. As precautionary advice and in order to avoid known risks of food poisoning from Salmonella and other organisms, EFSA reconfirms longstanding recommendations that poultry meat and eggs be thoroughly cooked. Whilst it is unlikely that H5N1 could be passed onto humans by raw meat or eggs, cooking food properly would inactivate the virus and eliminate this potential risk.

Further information on the safe handling, preparation and cooking of foods can be obtained from national food safety authorities and from the WHO at: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/consumer/5keys/en/index.html. Further WHO information on AI and food safety issues is available at: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/micro/avian/en/index.html. Advice from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) regarding the public health aspects of avian influenza can be found at: http://www.ecdc.eu.int/.