Maputo, 23 Oct (AIM) – The Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies at Lúrio University (Unilúrio), based in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, has detected salmonella in frozen chicken that is being sold all over the province.
According to the director of the Centre, Isac Presse, salmonella causes serious food poisoning, so there is a need to keep monitoring the chicken meat that is circulating in the country.
Presse, who was speaking at the 13th anniversary of the Centre, said that salmonella was found in 10.81 per cent of the 74 samples of chicken skin, legs, and carcasses, in the cities of Nampula and Nacala.
“In this study, we prioritized Nampula and Nacala because these cities sell imported goods on a large-scale”, Presse said, explaining that, however, the findings do not mean that all the meat circulating in the market has salmonella.
The Mozambican Ministry of Agriculture, has suspended the import of all domesticated and wild birds, and all poultry produced from South Africa, following outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in South Africa.
In order to avoid bird flu infections, the National Livestock Development Directorate recommends that producers should only introduce birds into their aviaries after carrying out an inspection or even submitting the animals to a two week period of quarantine.
As a result of the bird flu outbreak, all imports of chickens and other poultry products from South Africa have been suspended.
(AIM)
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