The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine supports calls for stronger regulation to address Campylobacter infection, the largest food safety problem in this country. Contaminated fresh chicken meat is the single main source of human Campylobacter infection in Aotearoa New Zealand.

A briefing by the Public Health Communication centre, published today, outlines the extent of the problem. Following a successful regulatory intervention in 2006-2007, in the past 17 years Campylobacter hospitalisation rates have increased by almost 70%, with over 9,000 cases - an average of 535 per year - attributed to contaminated chicken.

College President Sir Collin Tukuitonga says the scale of the problem may come as a surprise to many and agrees it should prompt an urgent regulatory response. “The scale of this largely silent epidemic is enormous. Campylobacter infections can be fatal and can contribute to the development of other serious diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome.

“This issue requires an urgent response focussed on protecting the health of the New Zealand public. Discrepancies between reported figures from officials, and the data provided by researchers, should be taken seriously and investigated.”

Tukuitonga says authorities should draw lessons from 2007, when hospitalisations more than halved after regulatory measures were introduced to reduce Campylobacter contamination levels in fresh chicken meat. “MPI should urgently upgrade the existing regulations to markedly lower Campylobacter levels permitted on fresh poultry. And we need the reinstatement of an independent regulator.”

The last major advance in reducing Campylobacter contamination of chicken meat occurred under the leadership of the NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), operating as a discrete government agency from 2002 to 2010 before ultimately merging into MPI.

The New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine

is the professional body representing the medical specialty of public health medicine in Aotearoa New Zealand. Public Health Medicine is the branch of medicine concerned with the assessment of population health and health care needs, the development of policy and strategy, health promotion, the control and prevention of disease, and the organisation of services. For information about our mahi, members or purpose visit our website: www.nzcphm.org.nz

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