Pair sentenced over illegal slaughter and sale of pigs
An Auckland woman has been fined $25,245 and an Auckland man has been ordered to do 300 hours of community service for the illegal slaughter and sales of pigs.
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) is relaunching its Chicken Scene Investigators campaign this summer in an effort to keep Kiwis healthy as they enjoy the festive season.
“Every summer, as we spend more time preparing food outdoors and away from our homes, we see an increase in cases of foodborne illnesses and related hospitalisations,” says NZFS deputy director-general Vincent Arbuckle.
“And it’s our youngest, oldest and most vulnerable who have the highest chance of getting seriously sick,” he says.
Arbuckle says the most commonly reported foodborne illness is campylobacteriosis, which is caused by Campylobacter bacteria.
He says the most common source of Campylobacter in food is raw or undercooked chicken.
“So, on simple thing you can do this festive season to keep yourself, you whānau and friends healthy is to make sure you handle raw chicken safely,” Arbuckle says.
The Chicken Scene Investigators are back again in 2023 to help Kiwis do this by spotting chicken-handling crimes.
Their tips include not washing chicken before preparing it, making sure you wash your hands after handling raw chicken, not letting raw chicken or its juices touch ready-to-eat foods, and cooking your chicken thoroughly.
The campaign includes a series of YouTube videos in which the Chicken Scene Investigators solve the cases of the tongs, the tea towel, and the knife.
“Campylobacteriosis symptoms are nasty and usually last for about a week but can take up to two weeks. They include diarrhoea, fever, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, and vomiting,” says Arbuckle.
“In rare cases it could develop into more severe illness such as reactive arthritis or Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks its nerves, sometimes resulting in permanent paralysis.”
If you have symptoms, you can call Healthline for free anytime on 0800 611 116 or contact your doctor or practice nurse for advice.
“So, wherever you are gathering – from BBQs to work dos, beach parties to kai at the marae, Christmas lunch or potluck dinner – please don’t contaminate your plate this summer.”
Tips to keep yourself, your family and friends safe this festive season:
There are calls for the Reserve Bank to drop its banking capital rules, which Federated Farmers says is costing farmers a fortune.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on livestock farmers to take part in a survey measuring the financial impact of facial eczema (FE).
Soon farmers and working dog breeders will be able to have a dog that best suits their needs thanks to a team of researchers at Massey University.
OPINION: President Donald Trump's bizarre hard line approach to the world of what was once 'rules-based trade' has got New Zealand government officials, politicians and exporters on tenterhooks.
With wool prices steadily declining and shearing costs on the rise, a Waikato couple began looking for a solution for wool from their 80ha farm.
The Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) team is looking forward to connecting with growers at the upcoming South Island Agricultural Field Days, says HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott.
OPINION: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sometimes can't escape his own corporate instinct for evasion, and in what should have been…
OPINION: Shane 'Matua' Jones, crusader against all things woke, including "woke banks", couldn't have scripted it better when his NZ…