Salmonella outbreak confirmed on eight poultry farms

The Department of Agriculture said salmonella had been confirmed on eight poultry farms in different parts of the country.

t said it was working closely with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella to determine the cause of the outbreak.

“This investigation is ongoing. Eight flocks of poultry have been confirmed positive for Salmonella Typhimurium… The flocks are in different locations,” it said.

It said that “all confirmed positive flocks have been restricted and are under departmental controls, with affected birds to be humanely culled and disposed of.”

The department has not yet clarified how many birds have been affected by the outbreak or how the contamination could affect supermarket food supply chains.

It states: “The department is working closely with the National Reference Laboratory for Salmonella and producers to identify the cause of the outbreak and mitigate the risk of further spread. The investigations are ongoing.

“The department is coordinating its response with the FSAI to mitigate potential food safety risks.”

The spokesman added that a national Salmonella control program for poultry is “on routine,” going on to say that “this includes regular sampling by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and farmers at multiple points throughout the life cycle of poultry flocks. This program has been running successfully for many years with a very low prevalence of any Salmonella species in Irish broiler flocks.”

In response to the matter, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) said it had been briefed on the outbreak and was in contact with ministry officials.

An FSAI spokesman said: “FSAI has been informed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine of an investigation it is conducting into a possible outbreak of salmonella at a farm. The FSAI is cooperating with the Department of Agriculture in their investigation.”