“Campy” on the rise and the poultry health/ food safety link

“Despite significant progress by the poultry and red meat industries in reducing foodborne pathogens,” says Dr. Doug Smith, Diamond V’s Food Safety Director, “the rates of human illness persist.”

Dr. Smith notes that pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli are frequently associated with consumption of animal protein products. They often are cited among the top five pathogens causing foodborne illness in the U.S., as shown in a recently updated report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, despite progress against pathogenic E. coli, the level of Salmonella infections have been constant for nearly a decade and Campylobacter infections have been on the rise.

According to the CDC, most people who suffer a Campylobacter infection recover completely, but sometimes campylobacteriosis leads to arthritis or worse – Guillain-Barré syndrome. This auto-immune disorder occurs when a person's immune system attacks the body's own nerves causing paralysis. The agency states: “As many as 40% of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases in this country may be triggered by campylobacteriosis.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. May 2015. Accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/reports/index.html 

Food safety is a priority for federal and state regulatory agencies. At the federal level, there are new food and feed production regulations stemming from passage of the U.S. Food Safety and Modernization Act. Activity at the state level involves the passage of labeling laws and animal care legislation.

“In order to lower the risk of human illness,” says Diamond V’s Dr. Smith, “companies producing foods of animal origin must implement effective pre-harvest food safety programs.”