EU: No evidence bird flu can be transmitted through food
There is no evidence so far that the deadly form of bird flu can be transmitted to humans through food consumption, the EU food agency said today, quashing speculation that it might issue warnings that raw eggs and uncooked chicken should be avoided.
Italian news reports said today that the European Food Safety Authority, based in the Italian city of Parma, would alert consumers shortly about possible bird flu risks connected to eating certain foods.
“It might be the end of mayonnaise, steak tartare and tiramisu,” Corriere della Sera reported on its front-page.
“It’s highly unlikely that the H5N1 (bird flu strain) could be passed on to humans by consumption of raw meats or eggs,” said EFSA press officer Lucia de Luca.
The agency said it would issue a statement later today.
Officials across the EU are preparing for an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain in birds, after it was discovered in Russia, Turkey and Romania.
It has decimated poultry stocks in Asia in the past two years and has killed at least 62 people, mostly poultry farmers directly infected by birds.
Though H5N1 is difficult for humans to contract, experts fear it could mutate into a form that can easily pass between humans and spark a pandemic.
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