There's something else in UK pork sausages, and it isn't really nice.
Based on the tests conducted by Cambridge University health and food experts, the recent sausages that are found in supermarkets and meat shops in the UK are contaminated with a strain of MRSA.
MRSA or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus is a type of superbug. Like the other superbugs, this bacterium has the ability to fight off the effects of antibiotics, which makes it very hard to treat.
For the past few years, it's an ongoing concern since there may come a time when they can spread and yet medications or treatments to eliminate them may not yet exist. So far, hundreds of people die every year due to drug-resistant bacteria.
In this latest UK predicament, this is the first time that the bacteria have been found in their food supply. MRSA have been contaminating meat in other parts of Europe such as Germany.
But how did the bacteria end up in sausages? Experts are now setting their sights on the local pig farms. These farms have already become factories, which means owners try to squeeze in as many pigs as they can within a very limited space. Thus, when one pig gets sick, it easily spreads to the others, more so when the conditions are humid.
In order to prevent and fight infection, pigs are provided with antibiotics, but this may only worsen the situation. The bacteria can simply evolve until they become resistant.
Experts, however, want to reduce the fears by saying that exposure to high heat in cooking and correct kitchen hygiene can significantly decrease the risk of transmission to humans. However, if the person handling it has a wound, it's possible that the bacteria can get into the body and cause serious complications later.
Meanwhile, health advocates are calling on the government to strictly regulate pig farms and control or even ban the use of antibiotics.
