18 replies to this topic

[chipollinij]

Hello friends-
The HACCP system has been used with great success at the processing level in a wide variety of food industries. I have not seen a lot of work done in controlling hazards at the farm level. In egg production, an egg laying hen produces an egg approximately every 26 hours. Salmonella enteritidis, if present in the environment, is capable of infecting the hen. An infected hen produces SE contaminated eggs at a low rate. Control of Salmonella enteritidis in the farm may be done by the implementation of good biosecurity (prerequisites). This may include preventing the introduction of infected birds, feed, pests (flies, rodents, people??), vaccination, etc and by cleaning and disinfecting the environment at the end of the laying cycle.
It seems to me that implementing strong prerequisites you may control this pathogen in the farm environment.
I would like to hear your input if it is necessary to have a CCP in egg production.
Thank you




jc

[Jean]

Hi JC,

I am quite interested to know if there is no need of CCP's in the egg fams since we require our egg suppliers to have HACCP systems to control pathogens and chemicals.

Are there any controls to reduce/prevent the risk of diseases being transferred in the farm due to contamination from the feed (Minrobiological & Chemical). What are the controls you have on the feed ??

Out of curiosity,is S.enteritidus the only most significant hazard? What control measures do you have for Avian influenza Virus and other viruses in case of an outbreak??

How about the health of the chick which is supplied to the farms, is there any system to check each and every single one or just you rely on the health certificates??

Hope I have not loaded you a lot of questions

[chipollinij]

Hi JC,
I am quite interested to know if there is no need of CCP's in the egg fams since we require our egg suppliers to have HACCP systems to control pathogens and chemicals.

DO YOU REQUIRE FOOD PATHOGEN OR POULTRY PATHOGEN CONTROL?

Are there any controls to reduce/prevent the risk of diseases being transferred in the farm due to contamination from the feed (Minrobiological & Chemical).

TRAFFIC CONTROL (INCLUDES PEOPLE AND EQUIPMENT), DECONTAMINATION OF TRUCKS COMING INTO THE FARM/FEED MILL.

What are the controls you have on the feed ??

USE OF ORGANIC ACIDS, PURCHASES FROM APPROVED SUPPLIERS, COA AT ARRIVAL.

Out of curiosity, is S.enteritidus the only most significant hazard?

YES. SHELL EGGS ARE A PREDOMINANT SOURCE OF S. ENTERITIDIS CASES OF SALMONELLOSIS IN THE USA AND EU.

What control measures do you have for Avian influenza Virus and other viruses in case of an outbreak??

PROTOCOLS USED TO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION OF S ENTERITIDIS ALSO PREVENT THE INTRODUCTION OF OTHER POULTRY DISEASES, I.E. TRAFFIC CONTROL, SANITATION AND KEEP BIRDS ISOLATED. STRONG BIOSECURITY.

How about the health of the chick which is supplied to the farms, is there any system to check each and every single one or just you rely on the health certificates??

QUARANTINE YOUR BIRDS AND MONITOR THEIR HEALTH (MORTALITY) DAILY.

Hope I have not loaded you a lot of questions

GOOD QUESTIONS JEAN. HOPE MY RESPONSE GOES THRU THIS TIME.
jc

[Charles.C]

Dear chipollinij,

Not my direct area but the whole subject is one where microbiological aspects hv been, often painfully, discussed for many years. For good reason of course. Words like 'endemic" immediately come to mind.

I did a cursory google and the relevance of haccp seems to be well known as wud be expected, eg -

http://www.wpsa-food...ex.php?item=167

 eggs___08_Egg_UK.pdf   290.36KB   241 downloads

I won't go into hacp egg details due ignorance, (other more knowledgeable egg people here are very welcome) but I can offer some background which I hv previously observed.

It is well-known that in Europe, several Scandinavian countries are famous for achieving extremely low (they often proudly claim zero) salmonella contamination in their marketed product, especially Sweden from memory. Their methods go back at least 20 years and I believe they hv extensively reported the rigorous procedures involved both at conferences and in the literature.

I assume most other European countries hv either been unwilling or unable to fully copy the Scandinavian requirements with the result (in UK for example) that AFAIK it is both legal and assumed inevitable that the retail egg product will hv some salmonella. A similar comment for retail supermarket chicken meat. Statistics are available on the net somewhere.

I also recall that the USA technically “sponsored” a detailed (published) quantitative microbiological risk analysis on the topic of egggs / S.enteritidis several years back but I don’t know what the subsequent impact of this was in US industry. I presume the current “normal” retail situation is the same as Europe, ie contamination at some level is tolerated.???

Rgds / Charles.C

[Simon]

Hi Jose, With a little practice you will soon get used to the forums software. I have deleted all of the duplicate posts and threads on egg HACCP and so you, Jean et al. can concentrate your discussion right here.

Welcome to the forums.



Regards,
Simon

[chipollinij]

Dear chipollinij,

Not my direct area but the whole subject is one where microbiological aspects hv been, often painfully, discussed for many years. For good reason of course. Words like 'endemic" immediately come to mind.

I did a cursory google and the relevance of haccp seems to be well known as wud be expected, eg -

http://www.wpsa-food...ex.php?item=167

 eggs___08_Egg_UK.pdf   290.36KB   241 downloads

I won't go into hacp egg details due ignorance, (other more knowledgeable egg people here are very welcome) but I can offer some background which I hv previously observed.

It is well-known that in Europe, several Scandinavian countries are famous for achieving extremely low (they often proudly claim zero) salmonella contamination in their marketed product, especially Sweden from memory. Their methods go back at least 20 years and I believe they hv extensively reported the rigorous procedures involved both at conferences and in the literature.

I assume most other European countries hv either been unwilling or unable to fully copy the Scandinavian requirements with the result (in UK for example) that AFAIK it is both legal and assumed inevitable that the retail egg product will hv some salmonella. A similar comment for retail supermarket chicken meat. Statistics are available on the net somewhere.

I also recall that the USA technically “sponsored” a detailed (published) quantitative microbiological risk analysis on the topic of egggs / S.enteritidis several years back but I don’t know what the subsequent impact of this was in US industry. I presume the current “normal” retail situation is the same as Europe, ie contamination at some level is tolerated.???

Rgds / Charles.C

Thank you Charles for your response and insightful comment.

The US industry, depending on bird numbers the compliance date may take another two years, is in the process of implementing federally mandated requirements at the farm for SE control. http://www.salmonell...ew-regulations/#

Here is a link to the new Egg Safety Law http://www.fda.gov/F...n/ucm170746.htm

JC

[chipollinij]

Hi Jose, With a little practice you will soon get used to the forums software. I have deleted all of the duplicate posts and threads on egg HACCP and so you, Jean et al. can concentrate your discussion right here.

Welcome to the forums.



Regards,
Simon

Thank you Simon. I think I am getting the hang of it.

[Charles.C]

Dear chipollinij

Many thks yr excellent links. The magnitude of the problem is self-evident.

I now deduce that for various reasons, haccp, per se, is not as yet a routinely applied system in the poultry industry at the farm level, eg, this general geographical summary –

http://www.hc-sc.gc....06-27_9-eng.php

The “best” European result is currently perhaps something like this (?) –

Ireland is one of only four EU countries (the other three are Scandinavian) which have an EU approved salmonella plan. This places Ireland in the world premier league in terms of salmonella prevention and control. Under the plan all egg farms are tested and monitored by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

The standards for the egg packer include a requirement for a fully developed quality management system that includes a Quality Assurance Control Plan based on the principles of HACCP. Product identification and traceability is a key element of the packer requirements. This ensures that is there is any breach of the quality chain the product can be traced back to the farm of origin and the cause identified at source. It also provides for product recall should the need arise.

http://www.eggs.ie/l...sp?cat=44&id=44

I presume this explains the almost total lack of the word “haccp” in yr links although from my previous post it is clear that haccp-type interpretations do exist and articles on the Swedish system emphasise certain aspects which utilise haccp philosophy. Perhaps it is semantically more accurate to say that, historically, risk evaluation procedures hv pre-emptively defined the (haccp) CCPs which are currently proposed. Anyone feel free to correct me if this is wrong.

I did find this quite informative (overview) link (post 2003) which compares [Scandinavian / European / USA] control options. Seems not too promising for USA, hence the current project presumably.

http://www.abrappa.o.....l on-farm.ppt.

Regardless, it is obvious that no method is foolproof, eg this 2007 report –

http://www.foodquali...nella-infection

It appears that the basic answer to yr post is “yes” but maybe not typically spelled out in a haccp type format. Additionally, there are geographical implications as you may well know already.

I noted yr first reply to Jean’s post, it would be interesting to know what the “haccp systems” referred actually consisted of as far as monitoring was concerned ??? (actually I understand campylobacter is also a significant hazard although an apparently intractable one).

Anybody else farming chickens ??

Rgds / Charles.C

[chipollinij]

Jean-
Could you share a copy of the HACCP plan you require from your suppliers?
Thank you

[Jean]

Dear JC,

Thank you for aswering my queries. I understand that measures quarantine, biosecurity, vaccination,etc. helps in controlling the hazards. The links gave more insight into this subject.

We require our suppliers to provide a copy of their HACCP certificates.

[Jean]

Hi JC,

I have found the link below on "Code of Practice for Biosecurity in the Commercial Egg Industry, Version 1, June 2003", a bit old although. The biological hazards listed are endemic to Australia and they have used the risk assessment matrix to derive the CCP's.

http://www.farmbiose...p;siteName=aahc

This search has finally helped me to answer my question long time ago for the source of the matrix which I had provided in the topic "Risk assessment Matrix", which was my first post in the forums.
http://www.ifsqn.com...t...=8157&st=10

Hope the link will be useful.

[Abdul Qudoos]

What about the facility, surroundings and environment that also effects,

taking consideration of proper temperature, ventilation and lightning...

[Charles.C]

Dear Jean,

It's so good to see you active again.

Thks for the fascinating and informative link you hv referenced. As you say, it's getting old and its age is evidenced by the references used in the document (not that this rules it out). I noted the total absence of the words validation and prerequisite in the document. The number of CCPs is also simply phenomenal by current "standards".

The mixture of safety/non-safety parameters in the matrix is weird as discussed in detail in yr other quoted forum link. Would be nice to see the "Peters" "simplified approach" publication which is quoted as the source. More of a "fudged" approach maybe, nonetheless still a working basis for a variably non-linear matrix (what isn't?).


Rgds / Charles.C

[Jean]

Dear Charles,

I am glad to be active again.

It's so good to see you active again.

I noted the total absence of the words validation and prerequisite in the document. The number of CCPs is also simply phenomenal by current "standards".

As you mentioned, validation is not mentioned anywhere, probably because of it being a Biosecurity Plan based on HACCP principles as mentioned in the aim and scope

Support programs are being mentioned in Appendix 10 which may probably be considered as the pre-requisites.(What do you think?)

The number of CCPs is also simply phenomenal by current "standards".

This I agree as all the biological hazards identified as considered as significant. Are there no further process steps to reduce or minimize these hazards?? I hope JC can provide some insight on this.

Would be nice to see the "Peters" "simplified approach" publication which is quoted as the source. More of a "fudged" approach maybe, nonetheless still a working basis for a variably non-linear matrix (what isn't?).

Hopefully there is one. I would be glad if someone can post a new matrix.

(pl. ignore my previous post)

[Charles.C]

Dear Jean,

Support programs are being mentioned in Appendix 10 which may probably be considered as the pre-requisites.(What do you think?)

Yes, I was only illustrating the document age, not the content.

Frankly, the majority of the activities listed to control the CCPs look like (current interpretationed) prerequisite programs to me (like chlorination for example) though, due unfamiliarity, I am not entirely sure whether some cases represent a typical application for farm poultry or not.

These comments also apply to the CCPs in the link in my first post so it is possible that the basic application of haccp to farm operations is being implemented in a different way to post-farm processes though i don't see why that should be so. Maybe this is analogous to GAP systems for describing control of primary agricultural processes, some people use ccps, some not.

I also don't see any specific microbiological evaluations referred.

Rgds / Charles.C

[chipollinij]

Hi JC,

I have found the link below on "Code of Practice for Biosecurity in the Commercial Egg Industry, Version 1, June 2003", a bit old although. The biological hazards listed are endemic to Australia and they have used the risk assessment matrix to derive the CCP's.

http://www.farmbiose...p;siteName=aahc

This search has finally helped me to answer my question long time ago for the source of the matrix which I had provided in the topic "Risk assessment Matrix", which was my first post in the forums.
http://www.ifsqn.com...t...=8157&st=10

Hope the link will be useful.

Thank you J

Interesting risk-based approach to Biosecurity (Poultry Health).

[chipollinij]

"This I agree as all the biological hazards identified as considered as significant. Are there no further process steps to reduce or minimize these hazards?? I hope JC can provide some insight on this."

J-

If you are refering to the biological hazards in the Biosecurity plan, these hazards affect poultry health. Only Salmonella organisms have an impact in public health. HACCP systems control hazards which are significant for food safety. Biosecurity is used for poultry disease prevention. Methods used to prevent the introduction of poultry diseases also work in preventing the introduction of Salmonella in the farm.

Toanswer your question, when birds are sick, egg production drops or ceases entirely for a period of time. Moreover, ill birds may produce eggs with significant defects that will disqualify them from the table egg market in the USA.

JC

[Tony-C]

Hi JC,

I have found the link below on "Code of Practice for Biosecurity in the Commercial Egg Industry, Version 1, June 2003", a bit old although. The biological hazards listed are endemic to Australia and they have used the risk assessment matrix to derive the CCP's.

http://www.farmbiose...p;siteName=aahc

Hope the link will be useful.

Thanks Jean this looks quite a useful document. I do find their explanation of deriving a CCP a little confusing (The use of should) and believe they still use the decision tree:

A value of 1-10 indicates a Significant Hazard

(i.e. above the line) which signifies that a CCP (s) should be put in place. CCP’s are established using a CCP Decision Tree

So they are saying if the hazard is identified as significant using the matrix the probability is that it is a CCP but you still use the decision tree to decide if it is a CCP. This is standard practice in my book.

Regards,

Tony

[left]

[Jean]

Dear JC,

If you are refering to the biological hazards in the Biosecurity plan, these hazards affect poultry health. Only Salmonella organisms have an impact in public health. HACCP systems control hazards which are significant for food safety. Biosecurity is used for poultry disease prevention. Methods used to prevent the introduction of poultry diseases also work in preventing the introduction of Salmonella in the farm.

Thanks JC, now I am clear on the difference- Public health - Food safety & Poultry disease prevention - Biosecurity.

I have learnt an useful tip. I am yet to audit our egg supplier and this will help me in my preparation.