21.09.2011

Organic chicken is virtually unavailable in Finland. The major meat producers say this is because of a higher risk of salmonella -- but the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) rejects this rationale.
The country's biggest poultry producers, Atria, HK Ruokatalot and Saarioinen, all say they do not want to get into the organic chicken business because of a higher risk of diseases. They argue that EU organic rules requiring that all animals have access to the outdoors puts them at greater risk of salmonella infection. Companies say they do not want to chance on compromising the high hygienic standards of modern poultry farming methods. Head inspector Sirpa Kiviruusu of Evira disputes this, noting that organic broilers are subject to exactly the same salmonella monitoring programme as all other poultry or egg production.
The real reason may lie in costs. Organic chicken production may cost up to four times as much as conventional maximum-efficiency methods.
In Denmark, organic chicken costs 20 euros a kilo (YLE).