April 17, 2012

European Food Safety Authority to evaluate Salmonella reductions in turkeys

The European Commission had requested the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to evaluate the impact on public health of Salmonella reductions in turkeys across the EU.

In a new scientific opinion, experts from EFSA's Panel on Biological Hazards identify the main Salmonella serovars in turkeys and indicate that transmission from breeding stock to fattening flocks is an important source of Salmonella infection as well as such sources as contaminated feed or turkey houses.

Through the use of a modelling tool and the analysis of harmonised EU-wide data on Salmonella in animals and on reported cases of human salmonellosis (the Salmonella-derived infection that affects humans), the Panel estimated the relative public health impact of Salmonella transmitted to humans from four different animal sources like turkeys, broiler hens, laying hens and pigs.

A reduction of Salmonella levels in 2012 to 1% or less for all the serovars considered in the model in fattening turkey flocks would result in an estimated 2.2% reduction across the EU of all cases of human salmonellosis compared to 2010. The Panel emphasised that the individual EU Member States' contributions to the estimated reductions vary greatly.

Targets are being set for the reduction of certain Salmonella serovars in different poultry populations and in pigs within the framework of EU legislation on the control of zoonotic diseases (infections or diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans, for instance by consuming contaminated food).

Among the recommendations on data gathering and surveillance measures, the Panel highlights the need to enhance active surveillance in all EU Member States in order to better estimate the true incidence of human salmonellosis.