Salmonella Awards to be Launched at Pig Fair
UK - The first Platinum Pig Awards for pig units with low levels of salmonella will be announced at British Pig and Poultry Fair.
14 April 2008
2 minute read
The new awards are designed to act as an incentive to all pig-keepers to cut salmonella in the national herd to ten percent, or less, says the NPA.
To win a platinum award a unit will have to be under ten percent for a year, as shown by positive and suspect reports from the new Zoonoses National Control Programme, which was introduced this month.
Since the Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) started in 2002 the aim has been to reduce the risk to consumers from salmonella in pigmeat products. The target was to reduce the proportion of finisher pigs testing positive to the meat-juice salmonella test and thereby reduce the prevalence of salmonella in the national herd.
But the scheme has failed. The level of meat-juice salmonella positive results has not fallen. So the Zoonoses National Control Programme has been introduced in its place.
To win a platinum award a unit will have to be under ten percent for a year, as shown by positive and suspect reports from the new Zoonoses National Control Programme, which was introduced this month.
Since the Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) started in 2002 the aim has been to reduce the risk to consumers from salmonella in pigmeat products. The target was to reduce the proportion of finisher pigs testing positive to the meat-juice salmonella test and thereby reduce the prevalence of salmonella in the national herd.
But the scheme has failed. The level of meat-juice salmonella positive results has not fallen. So the Zoonoses National Control Programme has been introduced in its place.
