IFA reassures consumers on safety of poultry meat
The Irish Farmers Association is seeking to reassure consumers that it is still safe to eat chicken despite the spread of bird flu across Europe.
Yesterday, the British authorities confirmed that a swan found dead in Scotland last week had tested positive for the H5 strain of bird flu, but it is still not known if it was the deadly H5N1 sub-strain.
H5N1 has killed more than 100 people, mostly in south-east Asia, since first emerging in Vietnam and Thailand in late 2003.
Sales of chicken in Ireland have fallen slightly since the virus arrived in Europe, but the IFA says there is no cause for concern among consumers.
"There's no possibility whatsoever of poultry meat getting into the food chain affecting by bird flu," spokesman Ned Morrissey said.
"The Department of Agriculture here are very, very strict with regard to the way this job is done."
Consumers are also being reminded that they can allay any concerns they may have by ensuring that chicken and other poultry products are properly cooked before they are consumed.
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