Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:4484] 
2.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for Food Safety 
: Is she concerned that public health researchers estimate that contaminated chicken is likely to be causing at least 50000 cases of campylobacter infection each year and more than 400 hospitalisations; if so does she support their call to immediately switch to frozen poultry and seriously consider banning the sale of fresh chicken for human consumption? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Leader of the House) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister for Food Safety 
: Yes. She has asked the New Zealand Food Safety Authority to provide her with information regarding action that is being taken—and it should be taken through the whole farm to supermarket to plate continuum—and she is expecting advice on that very soon. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Why will the Government not recommend switching to frozen chicken when all of the modelling shows that it would reduce tenfold to hundredfold campylobacter contamination of chicken and how many more New Zealanders will have to become ill before the Government will take decisive action to reduce this entirely preventable epidemic? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: The Government is taking an evidence-based approach on this and that is why the Minister has asked for advice on the range of actions that might be taken. It is important to note that people should not be left with the impression as the member’s question might imply that frozen chicken is automatically safe. Campylobacter survives freezing which does not destroy all—[ 
Interruption 
] It depends what one is doing with the frozen chicken of course Ms Bennett; in your case I am not sure! In the case of frozen chicken about 10 percent of campylobacter survives and when the chicken unfreezes there are risks in terms of how to treat the fluids at that point. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does the Minister agree with scientists that the only way of getting rid of campylobacter in a kitchen is to disinfect everything with a chlorine bleach; if so why is she allowing the Food Safety Authority to give false reassurance to the public by saying that washing one’s hands boards and utensils with soapy water will get rid of the bacteria? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: I do not have evidence in front of me to suggest that chlorine bleach is the only way of approaching the matter. Of course chlorine bleach presents its own health problems if not handled correctly. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Does she agree with the public health researcher Dr Nick Wilson that fresh chicken is literally dripping with campylobacter that “everything it touches” can become cross-contaminated and that blaming the public for not handling poultry properly is like blaming a consumer who finds half a mouse in a meat pie; why therefore does the Food Safety Authority continue to focus on blaming the epidemic on consumers instead of reducing contamination at source in the slaughterhouses of New Zealand which as its own research has found are a major source of cross-contamination? 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN 
: Clearly there are serious risks here which is why the advice is to handle chicken extremely carefully; obviously people should follow that advice and follow through. But I repeat that the Minister has asked for full advice on the best way to treat this whole issue and is not going to rush into action on the basis of one report.