ARS | Publication request: IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY AND TRACEABILITY SYSTEMS: THE POULTRY CHAIN

Submitted to: United States - European Commision Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 11, 2005
Publication Date: February 1, 2006
Citation: Bailey, J.S. 2006. Implementing technology and traceability systems: the poultry chain. United States - European Commision Workshop. February 27 - 28, 2005. Orlando, FL.

Technical Abstract: Technology and traceability in the U.S. poultry industry involves many components. Human food safety and animal health concerns with commercial chicken and turkey will ultimately require unified national farm and flock identity systems which will allow the tracing of flocks from the farm through processing to the consumer. Birds sold through live bird markets will require individual bird identifications that will stay with the birds throughout their life. The current status and future plans for these systems will be reviewed. Traceability can also apply to the identity and movement of specific pathogens and antimicrobial resistance elements associated with these pathogens. A new joint USDA agency (ARS, APHIS, and FSIS) initiative will be presented which describes a program that provides continuous data to more comprehensively identify animal health issues and prevalence of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance elements from the farm through the processing plant.