Intertek launches Campylobacter testing lab
The firm has been working with food manufacturer Faccenda on Campylobacter testing into the supply chain and has increased facilities and expertise to launch a wider testing programme for the poultry industry.
Last year there were 72,000 confirmed cases of Campylobacter, more than 100 deaths and a £900m impact on the UK economy, according to the Food Standards Agency.
The agency found almost three-quarters of chickens tested positive for Campylobacter from a year-long study.
John Searle, global quality and technical director for Intertek, said: “The on-going work for our clients including Faccenda means that we have developed expert laboratories, fully equipped to tackle Campylobacter."
The Derby-based facility will support the supermarket industry and help reduce the more than 280,000 suspected cases of Campylobacter food poisoning in the UK, every year.
David Keeble, technical director of Faccenda Foods, said: "Intertek is our trusted testing partner as we at Faccenda work with the industry to find an effective intervention for the reduction of Campylobacter levels in poultry meat.”
