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February 17, 2007

bird flu update - problems with hygiene at Bernard Matthews

The DEFRA report on the birdflu outbreak at Bernard Matthews points out that the firm had been warned several times before about hygiene lapses. There were several possible avenues for bird flu to move from imported turkey meat to its turkey flock:

"- Pest control workers noted last month that large numbers of gulls attracted to uncovered bins full of trimmings from turkey breasts
- This had also been a problem last year
- Gulls were observed carrying turkey waste away and roosting on the roof of the turkey houses 500 metres away
- There were holes in the houses that could have allowed birds or rodents in
- Polythene bags containing residue of liquid waste could have blown around the site
- Plastic-covered bales of wood shavings used as bedding were kept outside"

UPDATE (to the update) - interesting BBC radio programe broadcast today, suggesting that the birdflu outbreak may give impetus to calls for agricultural reform, and looking at ways this reform could take place.

Posted by jon_mendel at February 17, 2007 12:26 AM

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