Tegel is welcoming a new code of practice in the poultry industry aimed at lowering the incidence of campylobacter and bringing consistency to the slaughtering process.
"Tegel fully supports the new code which has been developed with and designed specifically for the poultry processing industry," a Tegel spokesman says.
However, Green MP Sue Kedgley says the code is too weak to tackle the campylobacter epidemic.
"The Authority's own studies show that campylobacter cross-contamination is occurring at virtually all stages of poultry processing and sale, yet the simple steps that can be taken to prevent this have barely been addressed in the new code of practice," Ms Kedgley says.
Ms Kedgley would like to see higher emphasis on transportation to avoid cross-contamination between live birds and birds packed in leak-proof packing to prevent contamination of other grocery items when buying poultry.
Tegel says it has already implemented many of the processes outlined in the code and has seen improvements.
"The New Zealand incidence rate of campylobacter human cases for the year ended December 2007 was 22% lower compared to the 2006 year.
"The poultry industry cannot take all the credit for this reduction but some of the changes we have made are clearly having an impact."
Taranaki Medical Officer of Health Richard Hoskins says the health board has been meeting with Tegel to try to curb the rate of the disease.
