Chicken and duck liver pate Campylobacter warning

2nd December 2011 - As the Christmas party season ramps up, chicken liver pate will be a popular buffet choice, but new figures show it has been linked to over 90% of campylobacter food poisoning outbreaks at catering venues so far this year

The Food Standards Agency is again reminding caterers to cook poultry livers thoroughly to avoid the risk of food poisoning - even if a recipe says just to sear the meat.

In 18 outbreaks of Campylobacter infection in England this year, the Health Protection Agency says 443 people became unwell and one person was admitted to hospital.

14 outbreaks in England happened in catering venues and 13 of these were linked to chicken or duck liver pate. Seven were linked to wedding receptions at hotels, banqueting venues or pubs. Six were linked with catering at functions held at hotels, clubs and restaurants.

Campylobacter

Campylobacter is the most common cause of bacterial food poisoning in the UK with bacteria found in raw meat and poultry, unpasteurised milk and untreated water.

There were around 600,000 cases in 2010 in England and Wales.

Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach pains and cramps, fever and generally feeling unwell. People infected with the bacteria may also experience vomiting though this is uncommon.

The symptoms usually begin to clear up after two to three days of diarrhoea and 80 to 90% of people recover within a week. In rare cases, some people suffer severe long-term after-effects.

Poultry livers carry a particularly high risk of Campylobacter as the bacteria can be present throughout the liver, not just the surface as is the case for poultry meat, and may remain a source of infection if they are not properly cooked.

Cook thoroughly

In the Campylobacter outbreaks this year, HPA investigators found the livers used to make the parfait or pate were undercooked. This allowed the liver to remain pink in the centre.

The Food Standards Agency issued updated advice to caterers on the safe handling and cooking of livers twice in 2010, but these do not appear to have been heeded by all cooks and chefs.

In a statement, Bob Martin, head of foodborne disease strategy at the FSA says: "Unfortunately, levels of Campylobacter in most raw chicken are high so it’s really important that chefs cook livers thoroughly to kill any bacteria, even if recipes call for them to be seared and left pink in the middle.

"The only way of ensuring the pate or parfait will be safe to serve to your guests or customers is by cooking the livers the whole way through."

The Health Protection Agency's Dr Christine Little, an expert in gastrointestinal infections, suggests people booking events should get assurances from cooks and caterers about safe cooking techniques and food hygiene: "If you are planning a wedding or other special event and are planning on serving chicken liver pate you need to liaise closely with your chef on how the dish will be cooked otherwise there is a risk that people could become unwell."