2000 sows slaughtered to block salmonella spread

While Finland has been renowned for clean pork industry, a key piggery associated with the Finnish meat production company Atria was hit with salmonella, media reports said on Saturday.

In the affected farm, 2000 sows are being slaughtered as the salmonella bacteria has spread throughout the buildings and a quarantine is not feasible. The farm is a "sow facility" where 60,000 bigs are born annually to be sent to other facilities to grow.

Authorities have not identified the farm, under privacy rules, but MT said it is in southwestern Finland. The bacteria type is Thymiurum FT U 277 and has been spread with birds and mice.

Atria has assured no salmonella contaminated pork has gone to customers. Corpses are destroyed at a special facility.

The facility affected is one of the largest in Finland. Atria assured the mass slaughters will not result in any immediate shortage in its merchandise, but may be seen next winter season in the availability of Christmas ham.

Seppo Paavola, chairman of the board of Atria, was quoted by the news service MT on Saturday as saying the event "hits hard" Atria. The company has been using "clean pork" as one of the marketing themes.

Atria has recently begun exports to China. There was no immediate comment on the impact on exports.

Salmonella outbreaks have been rare in Finland. There was a large outbreak in 1995.