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| Turkey meat examined for bird flu | Turkey meat examined for bird flu |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating whether meat infected with bird flu could have entered the food chain. | The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating whether meat infected with bird flu could have entered the food chain. |
| But it reassured consumers that infected turkey posed no risk to human health if the meat was properly cooked. | But it reassured consumers that infected turkey posed no risk to human health if the meat was properly cooked. |
| Officials now believe the H5N1 strain of the virus found in Suffolk is linked to one found in Hungary last month. | Officials now believe the H5N1 strain of the virus found in Suffolk is linked to one found in Hungary last month. |
| A spokesman for Sainsbury's reported that the chain's poultry sales have dropped by 10% this week. | A spokesman for Sainsbury's reported that the chain's poultry sales have dropped by 10% this week. |
| Bernard Matthews, the firm at the centre of the UK outbreak, has denied breaching rules on imports of meat. | Bernard Matthews, the firm at the centre of the UK outbreak, has denied breaching rules on imports of meat. |
| 'No turkey recall' | 'No turkey recall' |
| The FSA confirmed it was looking into whether bird flu had entered the human food supply as part of the wider investigation into the outbreak at the turkey firm's farm in Holton. name="top"> "This is not a separate investigation," an FSA spokeswoman said. | |
| We have made all our checks and they have come from nowhere near the restricted region Bart Dalla Mura, Bernard Matthews class="" href="/1/hi/uk/6347417.stm">In quotes: Hungary link class="" href="#graphic">Key locations | |
| Earlier this week, the cull of almost 160,000 turkeys at the Bernard Matthews plant was completed, after the discovery of the H5N1 virus. | Earlier this week, the cull of almost 160,000 turkeys at the Bernard Matthews plant was completed, after the discovery of the H5N1 virus. |
| The Health Protection Agency announced they had identified 400 Bernard Matthews workers who are likely to have been in contact with contaminated turkeys. | The Health Protection Agency announced they had identified 400 Bernard Matthews workers who are likely to have been in contact with contaminated turkeys. |
| All have been offered the seasonal flu vaccine. and 200 of them had already come forward, it said. | All have been offered the seasonal flu vaccine. and 200 of them had already come forward, it said. |
| The government said there were no plans to recall turkey products from supermarket shelves. | The government said there were no plans to recall turkey products from supermarket shelves. |
| Environment minister Ben Bradshaw told the BBC's The World At One programme: "Their [the FSA] latest advice was that they did not think a recall would be necessary because, as they have said on many occasions, there is no risk to human health from consuming turkey products." | Environment minister Ben Bradshaw told the BBC's The World At One programme: "Their [the FSA] latest advice was that they did not think a recall would be necessary because, as they have said on many occasions, there is no risk to human health from consuming turkey products." |
| FSA veterinary director Alick Simmons added: "The poultry meat in your fridge does not represent a public health risk provided you follow the normal rules and advice we provide about cooking." | FSA veterinary director Alick Simmons added: "The poultry meat in your fridge does not represent a public health risk provided you follow the normal rules and advice we provide about cooking." |
| Defra's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Fred Landeg, said evidence now suggested the virus may have travelled from Hungary in meat products rather than entering the farm via migrating wild birds. | Defra's Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Fred Landeg, said evidence now suggested the virus may have travelled from Hungary in meat products rather than entering the farm via migrating wild birds. |
| FSA COOKING ADVICE After cooking a whole bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a clean knife or skewer. The juices should run clearThe juices should not have any pink or red in them and there should be no pink meatPeople are advised not to eat raw eggs or use raw eggs in dishes that will not be cookedEggs should be cooked until the whites are solid | FSA COOKING ADVICE After cooking a whole bird, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a clean knife or skewer. The juices should run clearThe juices should not have any pink or red in them and there should be no pink meatPeople are advised not to eat raw eggs or use raw eggs in dishes that will not be cookedEggs should be cooked until the whites are solid |
| Bernard Matthews has trucked partly-processed turkey from Hungary to its plant in Holton every week. | Bernard Matthews has trucked partly-processed turkey from Hungary to its plant in Holton every week. |
| But it has now halted Hungarian imports and exports as a precaution while Hungarian and UK government vets carry out their investigations. | But it has now halted Hungarian imports and exports as a precaution while Hungarian and UK government vets carry out their investigations. |
| However commercial director Bart Dalla Mura has defended the company's import practice, saying there were no restrictions on importing material from Hungary from outside restricted areas. | However commercial director Bart Dalla Mura has defended the company's import practice, saying there were no restrictions on importing material from Hungary from outside restricted areas. |
| He said the firm had not brought any poultry or meat products from inside the infected region into the UK. | He said the firm had not brought any poultry or meat products from inside the infected region into the UK. |
| "We have made all our checks and they have come from nowhere near the restricted region. That is what our paperwork says to us," he said. | "We have made all our checks and they have come from nowhere near the restricted region. That is what our paperwork says to us," he said. |
| The company has a processing plant in Sarvar, in Hungary - about 160 miles away from where the bird flu outbreak occurred on a goose farm near Szentes. | The company has a processing plant in Sarvar, in Hungary - about 160 miles away from where the bird flu outbreak occurred on a goose farm near Szentes. |
| Mr Dalla Mura rejected suggestions that the firm had kept quiet about the imports. | Mr Dalla Mura rejected suggestions that the firm had kept quiet about the imports. |
| Following an emergency meeting of Cobra - the government's civil contingencies committee which leads responses to national crises - Mr Bradshaw said the government was looking into whether there had been "biosecurity breaches" at the Holton farm. | Following an emergency meeting of Cobra - the government's civil contingencies committee which leads responses to national crises - Mr Bradshaw said the government was looking into whether there had been "biosecurity breaches" at the Holton farm. |
| He said Hungarian authorities were also "investigating the possibility that product had come from their slaughterhouse closer to the restricted area". name="graphic"> | |
| Bernard Matthews says the virus was found in sheds well away from the processing area | |
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