Salmonella found in more than 26% of egg-producing farms
Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause potentially fatal food poisoning, was detected in more than 26 percent of egg-producing farms surveyed by the Japan Poultry Association (JPA).
Although the figure is on par with the 20-30 percent estimated average in the European Union, questions remain about the infection rate in Japan.
Not only was the JPA's salmonella survey the first conducted on a nationwide scale, it also covered less than 6 percent of the layer farms in the country.
In response to the results of the survey for fiscal 2004, the farm ministry plans to conduct a larger-scale survey over five years from next fiscal year at an estimated cost of about 87 million yen ($739,418).
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' survey will cover poultry farms, wholesalers and retailers, sources said.
Salmonella bacteria attach to the digestive organs of domestic fowl and cattle. Salmonella is generally passed onto humans through the eggs or beef of the infected animals, and can cause diarrhea or high fevers that can kill those who are physically weak.
The ministry provided 32.69 million yen in subsidies for the JPA's survey.
The results of the survey were compiled into an unofficial report in March last year, but the JPA did not publicize the results.
'We did not want to give consumers the misunderstanding that many eggs are contaminated,' a JPA official said.
The Asahi Shimbun recently obtained a copy of the unofficial report.
The report said there are about 3,600 layer farms in Japan. The JPA chose 10 percent of them in all prefectures for the survey, among which 204 farms cooperated.
The farmers each submitted droppings of 50 hens, as well as samples of dust from ventilation openings and the fans of their henhouses.
Salmonella was detected in the droppings from 15 farms and in the dust samples of 48 farms. Nine farms had the bacteria in both the droppings and the dust, according to the report.
In total, salmonella was found in 54 of the 204 farms, or 26.5 percent. Twenty-seven of the infected farms were large-scale ones that keep more than 100,000 hens, the report said.
According to experts, hens infected with salmonella pass the bacteria on to less than 10 percent of their eggs.
The United States and some European countries conduct nationwide salmonella surveys on a regular basis.
However, Japan has not done so.
Local governments or layer farm operators have so far conducted salmonella surveys only after strong suspicions arise that hens are infected.
The JPA has also compiled an infection prevention manual for the association members based on its survey.(IHT/Asahi: September 15,2006)"
