KEY POINTS:
Going to the butcher as a kid and getting a free cheerio could now be a thing of the past.
A kiwi favourite at parties, cheerios have been causing some upset stomachs, said Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Ramon Pink.
Dr Pink said the cocktail sausages, cheerios or saveloys, should no longer be offered cold to children over the counter at butcher shops and should be warmed through first.
But Meat Retail New Zealand ITO general manager Stephen Macauley said his organisation had not been contacted by the health board and the comments needed to be taken in context, given cheerios have been handed out over the counter for years.
"At this point, it's very much an isolated event. You think how many cocktail sausages are handed out everyday of the year," Mr Macauley said.
He said the practice happened less often now with less independent butchers around.
Mr Macauley said his organisation encouraged people to warm the pre-cooked cheerios through.
"It provides for a further safety net to minimise bacteria," he said.
More information from the health board was needed, Mr Macauley said.
Dr Pink said there is no ban on giving out cheerios in place but the risk to bacterial diseases can be avoided.
He said there are similar risks when it comes to luncheon sausage and shaved ham but all foods are prepared under stringent rules.
"We're not trying to be vindictive towards butchers or supermarkets," Dr Pink said.
An investigation by Canterbury District Health Board's Community and Public Health division has found six children under 5 in the South Christchurch area had been affected by an infection called yersiniosis, which is caused by the uncooked cocktail sausages.
It is a 48-hour bug, with symptoms of diarrhoea and some stomach pains.
The investigation found the children had eaten the sausages during October and early this month. The cocktail sausages had been given to the children over the counter - a common practice that has been associated with outbreaks of salmonella in Christchurch in the past.
Dr Pink said ESR science is monitoring the rates of yersiniosis around the country. He said some people may get diarrhoea and not know why they are getting it when it could be because of yersiniosis.
- NZHERALD STAFF / NZPA
