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This research project aims to assess the effect of proposed EU wild game legislation on risk of foodborne illness.
<p>Currently, the EU directive states that wild game has to be inspected in licensed premises and given a health mark the same as farmed game and meat from domestic animals and birds.
<p>The proposals in the new hygiene legislation currently being negotiated in Brussels would mean that the UK must implement inspection for all game other than small quantities supplied to the final consumer and local retailers.
<p>We need to ascertain the risk particularly of foodborne illness from the handling and consumption of wild game to assess if the imposition of additional official inspection is proportional to risk.
A qualitative risk assessment for the handling and consumption of UK wild game meat was undertaken to ascertain the risks from foodborne illness, and to assess whether the consequences of additional inspections are proportional to these risks.
<p>The specific identified hazards included E.coli O157, Salmonella spp, Campylobacter jejuni, Chlamydia psittaci, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Clostridium botulinum and lead shot.
<p>The study concluded that an audited Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system would decrease the risks from these hazards but that veterinary post-mortem inspections would be unlikely to have any additional effect on food safety.
<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/" target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.