Food poisoning alert on chicken livers

With chicken liver pate featured on many Christmas menus, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said it is especially important to heed the advice.

Many chefs deliberately undercook chicken livers so they remain pink in the middle however, making it more likely that campylobacter bacteria, the most common cause of food poisoning in Britain, will be present. There were nearly 60,000 confirmed cases last year, the HPA said.

Dr Dilys Morgan, head of gastrointestinal, emerging and zoontotic infections at the HPA, said: "With the Christmas season approaching, it's important to get the message across that chicken liver products need to be cooked thoroughly. Food poisoning is an unpleasant experience for most people but for those with underlying health conditions it can be extremely serious."

She said foodies keen to follow recipes containing chicken livers need to make sure they cook them properly as well.

Dr Morgan added: "It has become apparent that chicken liver pate/parfait is being served more frequently. This product is also being promoted in Christmas recipes published in magazines and the instructions do not always stress clearly enough how very important it is to ensure that livers are cooked sufficiently to kill the campylobacter.

"The public and the catering industry need to be aware that undercooking this product, allowing the centre to remain pink, can result in food poisoning."

Campylobacter bacteria causes diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pains and cramps. Symptoms can take up to 10 days to develop, with most people recovering within a week.

The HPA said there were nearly 60,000 cases of campylobacter infection confirmed by laboratories in 2009.