What's the problem?

Fresh raw chicken usually contains campylobacter - acknowledged as the major cause of food poisoning in New Zealand.

Last year there were 15,873 cases of campylobacteriosis. More than 950 people were hospitalised and one person died. Food caused about 60 percent of these cases, and chicken accounts for more than half of this 60 percent.

Campylobacter is naturally present in the chicken's gut, and infection can spread rapidly through a flock. Their flesh can get contaminated when the birds are slaughtered and processed.

You can also get campylobacteriosis from pets, farm animals and contaminated foods (such as unpasteurised milk, untreated water, and other raw meats).

The symptoms include stomach cramps, muscle pain, headache, nausea, diarrhoea (sometimes with blood), and fever. It can strike up to 10 days after the bacteria is ingested and the effects will usually last for several miserable days.

Children, older people, and those with poor immune systems are most at risk of becoming seriously ill.

What's the answer?

Last year, University of Otago public-health researchers said New Zealand should seriously consider banning the sale of fresh chicken and switch to frozen instead.

Although freezing isn't a perfect solution, it reduces the level of campylobacter in chicken.

However, the NZFSA says freezing chicken creates other problems. Chicken that isn't thawed properly can remain uncooked in the middle. And thawing creates problems because of dripping fluid.

The only way to kill campylobacter is to cook chicken properly. It's also important you handle raw chicken properly so you don't cross-contaminate other foods.

The NZFSA is working with the poultry industry in a review of practices for controlling campylobacter. All processes between rearing and eating poultry are under scrutiny - including poultry packaging and the post-freezing survival rate of campylobacter.

The strategy aims to see human cases of foodborne campylobacter fall by 50 percent over the next five years.

Because campylobacter occurs naturally in the gut of poultry, it's unlikely to be completely eliminated. Consumer education will always be important to ensure people cook and handle chicken safely.