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By Roger Mann, Anitox, United Kingdom

Food safety is a growing issue for livestock producers all over the world, particularly in the European Union where legislations such as EU Zoonoses Regulation EC 2160/2003 are promoting ever-higher standards. This requires all EU member states to take effective measures to detect and control Salmonellas of public health significance in farmed species. These mig

Feed products and processes can be protected against Salmonella to ensure that they are pathogen-free from the point of manufacture to consumption by livestock.

ht present a potential risk of transmitting the bugs and other zoonotic agents (diseases that can spread from animal to humans) to humans. However, all those supplying meat products to customers within the EU must also comply.

Concurrent with legislation focusing on this area, a number of other critical factors are converging. Globally, dietary patterns are constantly changing. Incidences of food safety and other public health issues are also increasing, and consumers are becoming more aware of what they eat and how it is produced. Additionally, retailers are making ever more stringent demands on suppliers. All of these factors are together adding pressure on producers to introduce higher standards of pathogen control. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report on zoonoses, ‘The Community Summary Report onTrends and Sources of Zoonotic Agents in the European Union in 2007’,highlights Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria as the main causes of food-borne illness in humans. Campylobacteriosis was the most frequently reported, showing an increase to 200,507 cases in the EU-27. Frequently detected in live poultry, pigs, cattle and fresh poultry meat, Campylobacter was the most common zoonotic agent, found in 26% of samples tested. In second place was Salmonella, which caused 151,995 cases. Salmonella-species bacteria were most often found in fresh poultry (5.5% of samples) and pig meat (1.1%), while in live food-producing animals it was most frequently detected in poultry.

A mandatory control programme for Salmonella was introduced in breeding poultry flocks in 2007, and of the 27 EU countries, 15 indicated a prevalence level below the 1% reduction target. Legislation in respect of layers was in place by January 2008 and reduction targets were implemented in January 2009. To comply, the UK, for example, will need to achieve a 10% annual reduction in the number of flocks of adult laying hens infected with Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium - the country’s baseline figure being 8% of Salmonellas of human health significance.

Edwina Curry effect

Increasing legislation is placing greater pressure on producers to ensure that what they produce is free from pathogen contamination, says Roger Mann of Anitox.

Zoonoses have only become a focus of attention in recent years. Until the early 1990s when UK Member of Parliament Edwina Curry famously caused public panic by overstating the risk to human health from eating eggs containing Salmonella, the subject of pathogen control received little attention. However, that incident caused major retailers to insist on higher standards from producers as well as the entire livestock industry to address their concerns.

Salmonella cannot be entirely eradicated, but it can be controlled. Immediately after ‘the eggs scandal’, Anitox conducted an investigation into the prevalence of Salmonella, bacteria and mould in animal feedstuffs and feed ingredients. This worldwide field study identified that some microbial contaminants were causing problems in poultry and livestock. Salmonella, for example, was found in 36% of complete feed products, while levels in individual ingredients were often much higher, with bacteria or mould present in up to 96% of complete feeds.

While these can cause significant productivity losses in poultry and livestock, bacterium such as Salmonella cause illness or even death in susceptible humans who consume contaminated animal products such as eggs, meat and milk. The variables that compound the problems caused by this robust, persistent organism include environmental contamination, susceptible animals and poor standards of hygiene, disinfection and bio-security. With this knowledge, Anitox developed the Termin-8^® pathogen control programme for finished feed and raw materials. This enables feed manufacturers to dramatically improve their hygiene, thereby resulting in safer, pathogen-free feed at the point of manufacture and throughout the handling, storage and transportation phases.

Increasing problem

As the world becomes more affluent and demand for meat-based protein escalates, so the incidence of food safety-related issues is increasing, bringing with it more legislation. As part of the EU programme, four 12-month surveys have already been completed to establish baseline Salmonella levels in layer and broiler flocks, turkeys and slaughter pigs. Data is presented to the European Commission, analysed by EFSA, and the results collated by the European Commission (EC) to assess levels of specified zoonoses. The EC also proposes targets for reducing the levels in each EU-country, which aims to meet them through a National Control Programme (NCP) that includes animal feed production, primary animal production, processing and preparation of food of animal origin.

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