May 9, 2006

 

USGC preaches food safety to India's poultry industry
 

 

With safety the top concern on consumers minds in the wake of bird flu, the US Grain Council's series of seminars on food safety proved especially helpful to Indian poultry producers, who have been hard-hit by recent bird flu events.

 

The five-day seminar, starting on May 1 focused on poultry processing and food safety were held in the cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi.

 

The seminar also aimed to help the poultry industry to start making a shift towards value added products. 

 

The theme "New Threats in Poultry Processing and Need for Consumer Awareness" was aptly chosen as producers sought ways to prevent a repeat of the bird flu crisis, in which consumers shunned supposedly safe chickens due to what the industry called irrational bird flu fears.

 

USGC Official Dr James Denton urged the industry to outline steps for food safety adding that there are lessons to be learned from countries which have retained consumption levels in spite of bird flu.

 

Denton emphasised that consumer confidence is an indispensable part of the process if producers wish to weather any health crisis. This confidence can only be achieved through a viable inspection system with government involvement, he added.

 

The live chicken markets also need to be monitored and steps taken to ensure that a contaminated product does not reach the end consumer. The industry should also have a recall system ready should any such cases happen, he said.

 

Besides bird flu, the industry also has to deal with a host of pathogenic bacteria which threaten raw and ready-to-eat products.

 

For example, Listeria, which can tolerate low temperatures, is a major threat to expectant mothers and can be found in unsafe luncheon meats.

 

However, this is a tractable issue which could be prevented, he said. Products can only be contaminated if they are mishandled during the production, distribution, or retail process.

 

Taking Staphylococcus as an example, Denton said the bacteria, found on human hands, can only contaminate products if hygiene standards are not adhered to.

 

Dr Denton also said more effort need to be put into consumer education and awareness. For example, consumers need to be educated about bacteria which are hazardous and those that cause food spoilage. Ultimately, consumers need to understand the value of cleanliness and take measures to keep products safe, he added.