The U.K. Food Standards Agency and their counterpart in Scotland have issued an advisory against the consumption of a number of brands of pork-derivedsnacks.  The number of cases had risen to 534 by late October from September 2020, with a sharp increase in June 2021.  Whole genome sequencing has identified a single strain of Salmonella Infantis as being responsible and this outbreak strain was identified in unopened bags of product at a plant operated by the Tayto Group.  Since the plant was closed, there has been a reduction in incidence rate, but additional cases will occur as contaminated product carries best-before dates into late February 2022.

The Food Service Agency is investigating the source of the contamination of the range of Tayto brands including Mr. Porky and Jay’s.  Three nations supplied pork rinds to the Tayto Group including Canada where product contaminated with Salmonella was identified by authorities. An additional question concerning contamination relates to the fact that pork rinds, pork scratchings, and pork cracklings are cooked at a temperature that should destroy Salmonella, suggesting contamination between processing and packing.