Security tightened after flu outbreak
Strict security measures were in place this week to combat any chance of an outbreak of avian influenza at Hereford-based Sun Valley Foods.
It comes as experts continued to investigate the source of the infection at the Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk.
?Sun Valley takes its responsibility for protecting its birds, staff and the local community from the threat of avian influenza very seriously, and as such routinely operates to the highest standards of bio-security as recommended by Defra?, said the company?s managing director Richard Maxfield.
Since the weekend, when the cull of about 160,000 turkeys started at the farm at Holton, near Halesworth, Suffolk, Sun Valley have restricted visits to its Grandstand Road site and at others throughout the county, and all visitors have been asked if they have had any connection with the affected areas.
?Sun Valley has planned for any increased risk of avian influenza in the UK by developing a comprehensive and proactive strategy for managing the situation, which includes limiting the access to all Sun Valley facilities, increased sanitation of all vehicles arriving at any of the company?s sites, and ensuring no visitors or vehicles have been to any infected areas.
?Due to the increased risk presented from a highly pathogenic infection in the UK, this strategy has now been implemented in order to further isolate our operation from any external risks of contamination.
?Sun Valley has routinely and successfully tested the strategy to ensure its effectiveness in the event of such an incident occurring, and will continue to carefully monitor the situation?, he said.
Meanwhile, Herefordshire Council?s emergency response team was on stand-by to implement a Defra-led plan to manage any outbreak in the county.
Mobilising animal health and welfare experts as well as environmental health and trading standards officers would be a priority.
They would be engaged in restricting access to and isolating an infected area, managing surveillance, sign-posting, enforcement, cleansing and disinfection.
In addition, the council?s team would co-ordinate public information and liaise with other local agencies.
?There is very little likelihood of an outbreak posing a risk to people?, said the council?s emergency planning officer Phil Wilson.
For once, farmers and supermarkets found themselves on the same side, with both groups urging consumers to put the outbreak into perspective.
A Tesco spokewoman said all poultry products and eggs were unaffected. ?The disease can, in any event, only be spread through direct contact with birds, and not through poultry products?, she said.
Strict security measures were in place this week to combat any chance of an outbreak of avian influenza at Hereford-based Sun Valley Foods.
It comes as experts continued to investigate the source of the infection at the Bernard Matthews farm in Suffolk.
?Sun Valley takes its responsibility for protecting its birds, staff and the local community from the threat of avian influenza very seriously, and as such routinely operates to the highest standards of bio-security as recommended by Defra?, said the company?s managing director Richard Maxfield.
Since the weekend, when the cull of about 160,000 turkeys started at the farm at Holton, near Halesworth, Suffolk, Sun Valley have restricted visits to its Grandstand Road site and at others throughout the county, and all visitors have been asked if they have had any connection with the affected areas.
?Sun Valley has planned for any increased risk of avian influenza in the UK by developing a comprehensive and proactive strategy for managing the situation, which includes limiting the access to all Sun Valley facilities, increased sanitation of all vehicles arriving at any of the company?s sites, and ensuring no visitors or vehicles have been to any infected areas.
?Due to the increased risk presented from a highly pathogenic infection in the UK, this strategy has now been implemented in order to further isolate our operation from any external risks of contamination.
?Sun Valley has routinely and successfully tested the strategy to ensure its effectiveness in the event of such an incident occurring, and will continue to carefully monitor the situation?, he said.
Meanwhile, Herefordshire Council?s emergency response team was on stand-by to implement a Defra-led plan to manage any outbreak in the county.
Mobilising animal health and welfare experts as well as environmental health and trading standards officers would be a priority.
They would be engaged in restricting access to and isolating an infected area, managing surveillance, sign-posting, enforcement, cleansing and disinfection.
In addition, the council?s team would co-ordinate public information and liaise with other local agencies.
?There is very little likelihood of an outbreak posing a risk to people?, said the council?s emergency planning officer Phil Wilson.
For once, farmers and supermarkets found themselves on the same side, with both groups urging consumers to put the outbreak into perspective.
A Tesco spokewoman said all poultry products and eggs were unaffected. ?The disease can, in any event, only be spread through direct contact with birds, and not through poultry products?, she said.