Reducing Bacterial Contamination Of Poultry Products Should Begin On The Farm

A U.S. study that linked foodborne pathogens on poultry farms and at processing plants suggests that reducing harmful bacteria on the farm may be the most important step to keeping them out of the food supply. Current efforts to prevent food contamination are focused on the processing plant phase. Scientists traced salmonella and campylobacter bacteria – which together cause 1.9 million foodborne illnesses in the U.S. annually – from the processing plants back to the source farma 96 and 71 percent of the time, respectively. Measures to reduce salmonella on the farm include vaccination of breeder hens, “competitive exclusion” products and using acidified water during feed withdrawal.