May 17, 2007

 

UK to introduce new ZAP scheme in July

 

 

The swine industry in the United Kingdom will introduce the new web-based ZAP (Zoonoses Action Plan) scheme beginning July this year.

 

Its key features will be a more accurate database, bar-coding of samples, and a much faster turn-round of results with producers and veterinarians going on line fortnight after pigs have sampled to get the results.

 

ZAP coordinator Veronica Wright said salmonella regulations are coming in Europe in 2008 and the scheme is expected to work efficiently.

 

In contrast, ZAP has achieved no reduction of salmonella levels in England because of its cumbersome process as well as the cynicism of pig keepers and veterinarians on the plan's capability to reduce the bacteria.

 

Wright said these factors have made ZAP unsuccessful in proving its ability to lessen salmonella.

 

One of the reasons veterinarians were sceptical of the ZAP scheme was that results didn't reach producers until they were six weeks - or more - out of date, and were therefore of little value.

 

ZAP levels will stay the same for the time being - 50 percent or over for ZAP 2 and 65 percent or over for ZAP 3.

 

But these levels are likely to be strengthened up in the future because ZAP levels won't come down significantly unless those in ZAP 1 make an effort.

 

When a pig-keeper is in ZAP 2 or 3, he will be expected to request a visit by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency - or have his own veterinarian-and to introduce an action plan to get levels down.

 

The farmer will have 16 months (ZAP 2) or ten months (ZAP 3) to reduce salmonella levels.

 

After all these schemes did not make headway, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency may look at what else can be done. The agency will also investigate the health status of weaners coming onto the farm.

 

Wright said no farmer will be suspended of his assurance scheme if he focused on reducing salmonella.

 

The new ZAP scheme, Wright assures, will be much less prone to error and will require less human intervention.

 

There will be a simple system, for instance, to ensure batch producers don't miss sampling windows.

 

Veterinarians however stress the scheme must encourage pig keepers and other animal health experts to go the "extra mile" even if there are no penalties-the challenge that ZAP is up to.

 

In Denmark financial penalties are imposed on pig-keepers who don't reduce their scores to an acceptable level. Such a system might be susceptible to legal challenge in Britain.

 

One thought is that abattoirs could pay more for pigs from ZAP 0-1 units and less for pigs from Zap 2-3 units.

 

The final decision is yet to be decided on this matter.