Food Safety
Food Safety & Defense Alerts
Avian Influenza
Our Stand:
Food Lion is committed to protecting, properly handling, and maintaining our groceries by taking every precaution necessary to ensure safe food for our customers.
What is Avian Influenza?
Also known as the Bird Flu, Avian Influenza is a strand of influenza that infects birds and in rare cases has been contracted by humans. Human cases are not common and are mostly found in Southeast Asia where flocks of birds have free range within villages. The people, who have become infected, contracted the strand through extremely close contact with a live, infected bird. Thus far, there is no evidence that handling poultry meat can lead to infection. Currently, the importation of poultry from countries with known outbreaks of the avian flu is prohibited.
What is a Influenza Pandemic?
A pandemic is the spread of a contagious disease over large areas, potentially worldwide. It is very important to understand the connection between Avian Influenza and a human influenza pandemic during a time when people are increasingly weary of such instances. Basically, the fear is if the Avian Influenza strand were to infect a person who already had another flu strand present, a mutation could occur, creating a new, potentially dangerous and highly contagious form of flu. At this point, it could become a worldwide influenza pandemic, spreading easily and rapidly between individuals.
What is Food Lion doing to ensure customer safety during an influenza pandemic created by Avian Influenza?
In case the Avian Influenza triggered a global influenza pandemic that spread even into America, Food Lion has began advanced planning and they are remaining proactive around the issue. Food Lion is providing up-to-date information from reliable sources to customers in order to keep them informed and knowledgeable. In the event that the Avian Influenza was to create an influenza pandemic, Food Lion's customers will be better prepared to deal with the matter.
What can each person do to protect themselves?
Each person can do several things to guard themselves and their family against infection. These actions include: cooking all poultry thoroughly to proper temperature, using good cough etiquette, washing hands frequently, and receiving seasonal flu vaccines, and stockpiling for individual needs. Also, personal hygiene and good eating habits are an essential part of helping the body fight off infection and maintaining a strong immune system.
What should each person do in the event of an influenza pandemic?
Because pandemics tend to run their course in a four to eight week period, it is advisable to plan on being self-sufficient during that time. Stock piling for your family's individual needs would be a huge benefit if an influenza pandemic were to sweep across America. (For further information on individual preparedness, click http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/index.html.) The less contact that individuals have with one another, the less likely they will contract the influenza. Therefore, any measures taken to decrease contact with others during an influenza pandemic is desirable.
For more information about Avian Influenza, please visit:
The Food Marketing Institute
http://www.fmi.org/foodsafety/avian_flu.htm
Government Website
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?navtype=SU&navid=AVIAN_INFLUENZA
USA Poultry And Egg Export Council
http://www.usapeec.org/
Other FAQs
http://www.usapeec.org/p_documents/newsandinfo_140510090445.pdf
