Salmonella found in coconut shipment

Press, 18 February 1989, Page 2

Salmonella found in coconut shipment

By

SARAH SANDS

Salmonella bacteria has been found in a shipment of coconut destined for a local confectionery manufacturer.

The shipment, from Malaysia, had a clear health certificate from a laboratory in Singapore but local health authorities found it was contaminated with salmonella. A health protection officer in Christchurch, Mr Peter Burt, said several consignments of coconut in recent months had contained salmonella. "For this reason we have been particularly careful in making sure we check each consignment.”

The Singapore laboratory had taken two samples from the shipment of 270. 45kg bags, Mr Burt said. “We took five samples from five different bags and in one of the samples, salmonella was isolated.” The importer now had the choice of dumping the consignment or sending it back to Malaysia. Mr Burt said that lower hygiene standards in countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines meant

that salmonella contamination was a problem. With recent staff cutbacks affecting the amount of imported food that could be checked, the Health Department had been “lucky” to find the salmonella, he said. A limited budget meant that only one officer in Christchurch could check imported food. This officer was also responsible for investigating food poisonings and complaints.