<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=452><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>Published September 4, 2009
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>H1N1 found in pigs, but pork safe to eat: AVA
Agency stepping up monitoring, inspection to ensure food safety here
By JOYCE HOOI
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THE Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) announced that the H1N1 virus had been confirmed in 12 pig samples taken from pigs from a farm in Pulau Bulan, an Indonesian island, yesterday.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffff>[FONT=Geneva, Helvetica, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]<!-- REPLACE EVERYTHING IN CAPITALS WITH YOUR OWN VALUES --><TABLE class=quoteBox border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=144 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom>
</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#fffff1><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=124 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>The cooking of pork to an internal temperature of 70° Celsius will kill bacteria and viruses.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The farm, which is owned by KMP - a Singapore-registered firm - makes up 21 per cent of Singapore's pork supply. It is the island's only source of live pigs, with 1,000 pigs being imported daily from Pulau Bulan.
The AVA stressed, however, that pork sold in Singapore is safe to eat.
'We would like to assure Singaporeans that the pork available in Singapore is safe for consumption as we would ensure that only healthy pigs are exported to Singapore,' said Tan Poh Hong, AVA's chief executive officer.
Ms Tan also emphasised that world health authorities such as the World Health Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization have stated that there is no evidence that the H1N1 virus is transmitted by food.
In addition, the health authorities have also said that pork and pork products handled in accordance with good hygienic practices will not be a source of infection. The cooking of pork to an internal temperature of 70° Celsius will also kill bacteria and viruses, including the H1N1 virus.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>'Nevertheless, AVA is stepping up its monitoring and inspection to ensure food safety in Singapore,' said Ms Tan.
The 12 positive samples came from an overall sample size of 7,000 pigs on Sept 3, and were confirmed as carrying the same H1N1 virus that is affecting humans.
Of the 12, four had originated from the abattoir in Singapore and eight from the farm in Pulau Bulan. There are currently about 230,000 pigs on the farm.
To date, none of the 12 samples testing positive for the H1N1 virus have originated from the meat itself.
According to the AVA, workers in the abattoir have been donning personal protective equipment while working since April this year.
The AVA had been collecting samples from pigs to test for the virus since the outbreak of the disease in humans in April.
'When the AVA surveillance programme picked up the H1N1 virus in the samples, we put in place enhanced measures like weekly farm inspections and increased pre-export testing,' said Ms Tan.
The AVA will also participate in a comprehensive disease surveillance programmes on the farm which will be led by the Directorate-General of Lifestock Services, an Indonesian authority, to identify and isolate affected pig houses. The pigs that are known to be affected are already being isolated.
As things stand, the AVA does not see the supply of pork being a problem. 'We currently have 25 approved countries exporting pork and pork products, and we are constantly trying to diversify our suppliers,' said Ms Tan.
The H1N1 virus had earlier been detected on Canadian and Australian pig farms in April and July this year, respectively.
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</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top width=452 colSpan=2>H1N1 found in pigs, but pork safe to eat: AVA
Agency stepping up monitoring, inspection to ensure food safety here
By JOYCE HOOI
<TABLE class=storyLinks border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=136 align=right><TBODY><TR class=font10><TD width=20 align=right>
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</TD><TD>Feedback</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>THE Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) announced that the H1N1 virus had been confirmed in 12 pig samples taken from pigs from a farm in Pulau Bulan, an Indonesian island, yesterday.
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The AVA stressed, however, that pork sold in Singapore is safe to eat.
'We would like to assure Singaporeans that the pork available in Singapore is safe for consumption as we would ensure that only healthy pigs are exported to Singapore,' said Tan Poh Hong, AVA's chief executive officer.
Ms Tan also emphasised that world health authorities such as the World Health Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization have stated that there is no evidence that the H1N1 virus is transmitted by food.
In addition, the health authorities have also said that pork and pork products handled in accordance with good hygienic practices will not be a source of infection. The cooking of pork to an internal temperature of 70° Celsius will also kill bacteria and viruses, including the H1N1 virus.
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The 12 positive samples came from an overall sample size of 7,000 pigs on Sept 3, and were confirmed as carrying the same H1N1 virus that is affecting humans.
Of the 12, four had originated from the abattoir in Singapore and eight from the farm in Pulau Bulan. There are currently about 230,000 pigs on the farm.
To date, none of the 12 samples testing positive for the H1N1 virus have originated from the meat itself.
According to the AVA, workers in the abattoir have been donning personal protective equipment while working since April this year.
The AVA had been collecting samples from pigs to test for the virus since the outbreak of the disease in humans in April.
'When the AVA surveillance programme picked up the H1N1 virus in the samples, we put in place enhanced measures like weekly farm inspections and increased pre-export testing,' said Ms Tan.
The AVA will also participate in a comprehensive disease surveillance programmes on the farm which will be led by the Directorate-General of Lifestock Services, an Indonesian authority, to identify and isolate affected pig houses. The pigs that are known to be affected are already being isolated.
As things stand, the AVA does not see the supply of pork being a problem. 'We currently have 25 approved countries exporting pork and pork products, and we are constantly trying to diversify our suppliers,' said Ms Tan.
The H1N1 virus had earlier been detected on Canadian and Australian pig farms in April and July this year, respectively.
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