Objective
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION
General background
The presence of Salmonella and other potentially pathogenic micro-organisms in poultrymeat, eggs and egg products make the marketing of these products very critical. The necessity for good hygienic procedures in the whole production chain becomes more and more pressing.
From ongoing research it is known that in poultry breeding, husbandry and processing practices have an enormous impact on the microbial contamination of the products.
General concern with regard to Salmonella and Campylobacter contaminated products, supersedes the concern about the contamination of these products with other pathogenic micro-organisms. Although in the literature reports on the isolation of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Listeria and Yersinia, Aeromonas and Clostridia seem to be on the increase, the importance of these "other pathogens of concern" is not reflected in statistics of human food-borne diseases. The problems associated with these other pathogens in food-borne disease should not be neglected.
Poultrymeat, eggs and egg products are incriminated in cases of human food-borne disease. Since poultrymeat and eggs are, as important and mostly cheap animal proteins, favourite products of consumers, it is appropriate that much attention is given to developing ways of reducing risks of food-borne disease to the consumer, borne by these foods. The national costs of food-borne diseases are enormous and often underestimated. Any reduction in their incidence therefore will have considerable economic benefits.
The economic benefits of the reduction of contamination of food products in general and those of animal origin, including poultry more specifically can be best illustrated by giving the calculated costs for loss of productivity, hospitalization and medical care following food-borne disease in some countries.
Unfortunately not all countries can produce detailed information, but the examples shown here certainly can be used for the situation in other parts of the world.
In the late seventies the annual costs for Salmonellosis were estimated to be DM 240 million. In England in 1988-1989 identified costs amounted to around one million pounds sterling; in the US in 1985 these figures were US$ 1 250 million for medical costs and US$ 22 000 million in lost productivity.
At an estimate of 10% involvement of poultry products, the economic necessity for a reduction in contaminated products is evident.
Researchers in many countries are determined to solve the problem of Salmonella contamination of poultry. The main activities can be grouped into three areas:
1. colonization control of Salmonella in live birds for meat and egg production
2. hygienic procedures in the whole production chain
3. new technologies for product decontamination and preservation.
The importance of the proposed Action lies in the integral approach in the whole production chain. Activities in parts of the chain are important, but should only be considered as links within a total of activities, aiming at the decrease of contamination with poultry-borne human pathogens.
The general problem described is important in most countries of the world. The World Health Organization Surveillance Programme for Control of Food-borne Infections and Intoxications in Europe reported in 1992 on this subject and although the data have not been collected in a uniform way, it is clear that poultry is one of the most frequent causes of infection.
In the FLAIR/COST ACTION No 6/No 906 "Prevention and control of potentially pathogenic micro-organisms in poultry and poultrymeat processing" a network of researchers originating from institutes, universities and industry was established.
The transfer of results from research to journals and small and medium-sized enterprises through the organization of seminars and symposia as well as by the exchange of young scientists between participating laboratories proved very valuable.
FLAIR/COST Action No 6/No 906 finishes in early 1994 and up to the present the following results obtained should be mentioned.
There were 17 meetings in 12 (9 EC and 3 EFTA) countries. These meetings were focused on the working area of the three working groups or meant as general exchange meeting, or they were specially organized in countries to attract more interest and participants for this area of research and the concerted Action.
14 Proceedings books were produced, in which all relevant information presented at the meetings is collected. Books as "Salmonella contamination of poultry", "The role of antibiotics in the control of food-borne pathogens", Hygienic aspects of processed poultrymeat", "Probiotics and pathogenicity" and "The consequences of the zoonosis order" have attracted a lot of publicity. From the meetings press information releases were issued.
Meetings have resulted in more cooperation, not only in the preparation of research proposals for EC research programmes.
Also agreement on which specific test should be used for a certain purpose, as in the case of the "zoonosis order", has been positively influenced by the activities within the concerted Action No 6/No 906.
Objectives of the proposed Action
- Prevention of infection of live birds, prevention of contamination of poultrymeat, eggs and egg products with Salmonella and other pathogenic micro-organisms
- Application of new methods for end-product decontamination and preservation
These objectives need the development of monitoring procedures and rapid detection methods and tests.
Scientific content
1. Prevention of infection of live birds used for meat and egg production
Research is focused on origin of flock infection, bird related factors, flock management, organism related factors and monitoring systems and methods for rapid diagnoses and detection.
Research in the area of hatching, genetics, husbandry/management and feed is aimed, not always as the primary concern, at the improvement of the microbiological quality of the products to be produced.
Production of resistant chicks, application of colonization resistance inducing microflora, vaccination, and new housing (litter) systems are the topics to focus on.
2. Prevention of contamination of poultrymeat, eggs and egg products
Research is focused on slaughtering and dressing procedures, including transport and ante-mortem inspection, further processing, product development, egg washing, storage with or without chilling, new technologies for decontamination and preservation of egg products, protocols for Good Hygiene Practices, structural aspects of plants, and monitoring systems and methods for rapid detection of micro-organisms at critical points.
Research in this area focuses on the stages in processing where due to the application of new technology cross-contamination between carcasses and flocks can be avoided.
The answers to this problem are found in the application of better hygienic conditions with transport crates including washing equipment, combined scalding and plucking, multistage cleaning and scalding and cleaning in place systems.
3. Application of new methods for end-product decontamination and preservation
Although end-product decontamination in the production of poultrymeat is not permitted legally, researchers focus on finding methods to lower contamination of end products as well as to control the potentially hazardous micro-organisms on these products. Researchers focus also on the environmental aspects of the application (energy, water-management).
The use of inorganic phosphates, probiotic strains, ionizing radiation and modified atmosphere packaging are considered.
This part of the proposed action has, with respect to poultry, links with the AIR concerted Action on Microbial Control in the Meat Industry.
With respect to egg products the action concentrates on new technology, to replace the traditional pasteurization treatment, to decontaminate egg products.
High pressure technology, ohmic heating, ultra pasteurization including aseptic packaging are the technologies studied.
4. Development of monitoring procedures, rapid detection methods and techniques
It is evident that monitoring procedures should be developed aiming at the control and correction of processes.
Rapid detection techniques including (bio)sensors are studied for this purpose.
Timetable
The project is planned for a duration of four years. The specific time schedule and lists of tasks (including the definition and creation of working groups for studying specific topics) will be established at the first meeting of the management committee. There will be a yearly evaluation, describing what is achieved and which goals should be reached the next year.
First year
Working groups will develop a working plan, which will result in a plan of action for the first and following years, covering specific themes and special subjects.
Second year
After the yearly evaluation meetings will be organized following the working plan.
Third and fourth year
Depending on the results of the yearly evaluation by the management committee the original working plan will be followed. A final meeting summing up the achievements will conclude the Action.
Organization and Management
A Management Committee will be set up following the signing by the appropriate number of signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding. This Committee will work out its rules of operation at its first formal meeting in accordance with existing COST regulations. The Management Committee meets maximal three times per year.
The Action will be coordinated by a chairperson in collaboration with the Action (secretary) scientific officer, who will be responsible for coordinating activities and ensuring that the Action will meet the overall objectives. Working group leaders will be selected for each theme within the scientific programme.
The Action coordinator and working group project leaders will form a steering group which will meet every six months to review progress and take action if required.
The information exchange between participants will be facilitated through the use of fax and/or electronic mail.
Original results for the research will be disseminated through joint communications in the recognized scientific journals.
It is anticipated that 2 or 3 workshops per year will be arranged during the COST Action, preferably at one of the participating laboratories.
From these workshops proceedings will be produced.
A final meeting will conclude the Action.
Annual reports will be produced for the COST senior officials and a detailed Final report, based on reports produced throughout the Action, will be written.
Economic dimension of the action
From the interest to date shown in the present FLAIR/COST Action the estimated effort in the joint European network is about 50 man/years, which involves a total estimated cost of approximately 2 500 000 ECU/year.
This budget is covered from national sources in participating countries.
Current status
After the 1st management committee meeting in Brussels (B) on 5 Jan 1995, the Action started. At that meeting a preliminary plan for future activities was defined, including the set-up of 4 working groups and the appointment of the responsible scientists in the several participating countries.
It was felt very important to use the instrument of short-term scientific exchange visits (STSMs). In each of the first two years of the Action 8 scientists were supported, by the scheme, to make working visits.
The chairmen of the working groups made an inventory among participants and related institutes and laboratories on their research priorities and capabilities. The results of these inventories are used in connection with acceptance of applicants for STSMs in the future.
The Action was represented at several events. The COST Interaction conference in Basel (CH), 1995, and at the NOR-FOOD conference and brokerage event in Reykjavik (IS), 1996 were the most important in this respect.
Programme(s)
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
Data not availableCoordinator
1049 Brussels
Belgium