Scary stories?
In recent years the meat industry has been in turmoil. The biggest culprits have been the damaging effects of the BSE crisis, viral scares such as E coli, and bacterial hazards. All this has also affected the various catering sectors.
Cases of food poisoning in the UK have risen by 400% in the past decade. Influenced by this substantial increase, scare stories concerning food, especially meat, have been consistently in the news, from the Scottish E coli outbreak last year to the recent speculation over possible transmission of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and its links with a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
What is BSE? BSE is a fatal brain disease of cattle. It is thought that humans may have contracted a new variant of CJD through eating infected beef, primarily the brain and nervous tissue. Neither blood nor meat have been shown to be infectious.
What is E coli? Last year in the UK, over 83,000 people became ill with food poisoning. In common with other viruses and bacteria such as salmonella and botulism, cases of food poisoning due to the various strains of E coli are increasing. In the Scottish epidemic last year, more than 500 people became ill and 22 people died.
The BSE, E coli and other food-poisoning events have caused widespread concern about the safety of meat and meat-related products. They have had significant effects for the various meat and catering industries, which are closely related. British beef is still banned world-wide, and the long-term confidence of many consumers has been damaged. This has hit the pockets of farmers, processors, retailers and caterers such as restaurants, hotels and public houses, but there are signs of change.
The crises have kick-started action to combat the problems. Brain and spinal cord tissue is now removed from meat that is turned into animal feed, to stop any infected material entering the food chain. More than 170,000 cattle have been culled in the UK, and scientific research and positive steps by the industry have improved real standards as well as people's perceptions. Although the ban on British beef remains, many experts believe that BSE will die out in the next few years.
What can be done to improve standards and boost customer confidence? Strict enforcement of hygiene and food safety legislation has been successful up to a point, but the statistics show that there is a long way to go. Using the law courts to punish offenders who deliberately flout regulations and endanger health is essential. One example is the network of 37 individuals across the country recently charged over the "recycling" of a sub-standard meat due to be used for pet food for sale in high street markets.
Anti-BSE strategy: the fact is that most CJD cases in humans have allegedly been caused by the ingestion of infected meat products before rules restricting the inclusion of spinal and brain products in foodstuffs were set up in the late 1980s. As these products are now not used, beef is safe. However, with the previous example in mind, the best advice for caterers who require meat and meat products is to choose your supplier with great care.
Vet the credentials of the supplier exhaustively and visit the premises to make sure you are dealing with a reputable establishment. Observe procedures, equipment and enquire about the training regime.
Anti-E coli and other food poisoning strategy: any raw or, indeed, cooked meat product may carry E coli or other forms of food-poisoning agent. It is only good practice and vigilance that will prevent illness. Seeking out a reputable supplier is vital to guarantee adherence to health and hygiene laws. If you work with meat or meat products, actions such as these cited below must be avoided to help minimise or eradicate the chances of food poisoning from your establishment:
Improper cooling of cooked meats.
Improper hot storage of cooked meats.
Undercooking meat.
Eating raw meat or poultry.
Cross-contamination of cooked meats by raw meats or other foods.
Inadequate cleaning of equipment.
Infected person touching cooked meat.
Inadequate reheating of cooked and chilled meat.
The catering industry must remember that the customer is the most important person, and issues such as BSE and E coli do make an impression on the minds of consumers. To allay fears and maintain credibility, the trade must stringently adhere to, and the authorities strictly enforce, health and safety regulations.
Tony Preston is operations director of Expotel Barton, a UK supplier of meat and poultry to the catering industry.
