The World Health Organization is advising caution in the handling of uncooked pork products because the H1N1 flu virus may be present in the blood and juices of infected pigs. WHO officials say that meat from infected pigs should not be processed and should not be used for human consumption under any circumstances. The flu virus may be able to survive the freezing process, and would therefore be present in thawed meat and blood. This would pose the most danger for those who work in the handling and slaughtering of pigs, and these workers are advised to use protective equipment.
The WHO and other health authorities continue to insist that there is no danger of contracting H1N1 flu from appropriately cooked pork products. Nevertheless, garden-variety caution is of course called for in our kitchens with the handling and cooking of all meats including pork.
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends cooking all cuts of pork to an internal temperature of at least 160F. Following general guidelines of cleanliness-such as thorough washing of hands and kitchen surfaces, avoidance of cross-contamination, and proper refrigeration-can help prevent many strains of foodborne illness, including Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes.
Other foodborne pathogens associated with pork:
◦ Trichinella spiralis (trichinae) – Parasites
◦ Staphylococcus aureus (staph) – Bacteria
◦ Mold – some types can produce mycotoxins
Appropriate processing, curing, handling, and cooking of pork should eliminate the risk of food poisoning from these pathogens.
It is important to note that the only cases of this novel strain of Influenza A H1N1 that have been found in swine have been in Canada and these animals have not been slaughtered or gone to market for human consumption. There is no threat of contracting swine flue from eating pork products sold in US commerce at this time. This point should have been re-iterated in your blog, but was not. The most recent WHO posting on this issue can be found here. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090430/en/index.html
Susan,
Thanks for joining the dialogue on our blog. I have great respect for your organization and appreciate the work you do to promote food safety.
You are absolutely correct. Luckily, the Influenza A H1N1 virus has been confirmed in only a small number of swine in Canada, and is not yet known to have entered the food market. Hopefully, organizations like yours and the fear of repercussions in the courtroom will keep the heat on the agroprocessing industry. We can’t afford to have more occurrences like what is reported to have taken place at the Westland/Hallmark slaughterhouse, where “downed” cattle may have been allowed entry into the food chain. Sick animals are sick and don’t belong on the plates- and in the digestive tracts- of our families. As far as we know, this hasn’t become an issue with H1N1, but with so many foodborne pathogens out there and the threat of new ones developing, we can never be too careful in our handling of any raw meat.
Thanks for your input & the work that you do, as we are all in this together! We will continue updating our blog with information as we get it, and we look forward to hearing more from you and Safe Tables!