Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is calling for comment on an application to permit the use of a new processing aid for the antimicrobial treatment of raw poultry.
FSANZ Interim Chief Executive Officer Dr Sandra Cuthbert said FSANZ had completed an assessment of the effectiveness and safety of the processing aid cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC).
"Our assessment found that CPC is an effective antimicrobial agent for the treatment of raw, skin-on poultry, and there are no health and safety concerns associated with its use as a processing aid," Dr Cuthbert said.
CPC has been approved for use in a number of other countries. If permitted for use in Australia and New Zealand, it will provide the poultry meat industry with an additional option for reducing microorganisms, including pathogens, in raw poultry.
