Poultry industry professionals from around the country recently met in Nashville, TN, for USPOULTRY’s 2022 Poultry Processor Workshop. The workshop focused on the technology being incorporated into production processes, including artificial intelligence in foreign material detection, automation and data collection, as well as emphasized leveraging daily process data effectively to make informed decisions for the operation. Also featured were ready-to-eat cooking and holding validations for Appendices A and B, along with many other topics.
Dr. Douglas Fulnechek, senior public health veterinarian, poultry at Zoetis, emphasized strengthening strategic areas to have an effective pre-harvest food safety program. Pre-harvest best practices include controlling vertical transmission of Salmonella from the breeder flocks, hatchery and grow-out flocks in order to have minimal Salmonella numbers going into the processing plant. Preventing the introduction of Salmonella from the outside is also essential so that vertical transmission prevention is effective. Cleaning and disinfection of farms and hatcheries, pest control programs and feedmill manufacturing practices are among the best strategies that isolate Salmonella and prevent it from entering farms.