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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #241816
Title: On-farm strategies to reduce foodborne pathogen contamination

Author
item Callaway, Todd
item OLIVER, STEPHEN - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Foodborne Pathogens and Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2009
Publication Date: 8/1/2009
Citation: Callaway, T.R., Oliver, S. 2009. On-farm strategies to reduce foodborne pathogen contamination. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 6:753-915.

Interpretive Summary: Our ability to influence levels of foodborne pathogens on farms is dependent upon understanding the complexities on the farm. In order to reduce foodborne pathogens on the farm, we need a better understanding of the complex interactions of diet, vaccination, production and management schemes, animal nutrition, animal physiology, animal health, logistics, epidemiology, public health, environmental impacts, hydrology, and economics among others. Changes that affect one aspect of animal production may have unintended and perhaps undesirable consequences throughout the entire food production continuum, including pathogen populations. A holistic approach to viewing food production is necessary to improve food safety on the farm in a manner that can be implemented within a successful, efficient food-production environment.

Technical Abstract: Development and use of new technologies has dramatically increased the efficiency of food production and created a massive animal production and food manufacturing industry in developed countries capable of feeding much of the world’s population. While the food supply of most developed countries continues to be extremely safe, people in these nations continue to get sick, become hospitalized, and die from foodborne illness. For example, more than 75 million foodborne illnesses occur in the United States each year, and growing public awareness of outbreaks has eroded public confidence in the safety of our food supply. Consequently, preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health concern throughout the world. Research in this special issue provides some real-world solutions that are feasible in complex, dynamic farm environments.