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Implementing Pre-Harvest Food Safety--The U.S. Approach

Implementing Pre-Harvest Food Safety--The U.S. Approach. By Thomas J. Billy, Administrator Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. Challenges to Pre-Harvest Food Safety. Limited information on effective practices National governments have limited authority

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Implementing Pre-Harvest Food Safety--The U.S. Approach

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  1. Implementing Pre-Harvest Food Safety--The U.S. Approach By Thomas J. Billy, Administrator Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture

  2. Challenges to Pre-Harvest Food Safety • Limited information on effective practices • National governments have limited authority • Numerous variables exist, such as farm practices, animal health, and the environment

  3. U.S. Farm-to-Table Strategy “Those in control of each segment must bear the responsibility for identifying and preventing or reducing food safety hazards.”

  4. Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Rule • Cornerstone of strategy • HACCP, performance standards for Salmonella, testing for generic E. coli, sanitation SOP’s • Ripple effect to pre-harvest level • Results: reduced Salmonella on products; reduced human illnesses

  5. Factors Driving Pre-harvest Change • Regulatory requirements • HACCP rule • E. coli O157:H7 • FDA feed ban • Marketplace demands • McDonald’s Corp. • Consumers

  6. Third-Party Certification Programs • Demand growing, e.g. MinnCERT • Assure purchasers that certain practices have been followed • Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program

  7. FSIS Pre-Harvest Strategy • No regulatory authority at pre-harvest • Educate producers • Research • Farm-to-table risk assessments • One size doesn’t fit all • Transparency critical

  8. Educating Producers • Use existing infrastructure to communicate • Partnerships with state animal health agencies • Commodity-specific programs such as Trichina-safe pork certification • Guidelines for producers • Producer organizations play role

  9. Research • More research needed to identify specific practices to reduce hazards • Multiple intervention strategies needed • Promising interventions include competitive exclusion, feed and water additives • Decoded genome for E. coli O157:H7 may lead to a vaccine

  10. Farm-to-Table Risk Assessments • Salmonella Enteritidis • Led to Egg Safety Action Plan • Farm-to-table interventions being implemented by various agencies • FSIS Risk Assessment Center

  11. Future Plans • Build on current activities • Increased role for veterinarians at pre-harvest level • education • disease traceback • residue avoidance

  12. Recommendations • New requirements for meat and poultry plants should have a ripple effect on production sector • Partnerships critical • Science, through risk assessment, is key to developing effective risk reduction strategies

  13. Goal“We must bring producers into the food safety business in order for the farm-to-table chain to stay connected and be effective.”

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