Meat + Poultry - November 2005 - 5

November 2005

THE FRONT PAGE
Lawmakers, poultry industry responding
to avian influenza threats
WASHINGTON - In the face of media reports of human deaths caused by
the H5N1 strain of avian influenza in
Asia, the U.S. poultry industry and
government are working to keep the
disease at bay.
In the most recent international outbreak, millions of birds, mostly chickens, have been destroyed in efforts to
contain the spread of the disease. The
World Health Organization says 125
people have been infected, and 64 have
died, all in Asia.
In the United States, however, poultry
processors, industry trade groups and
legislators are working to keep consumers informed about how the A.I. virus is
spread and confident about the safety of
poultry-derived products.
This past month, President Bush
asked Congress to approve $7.1 billion
in emergency funds for developing vaccines and antiviral medication ahead of
any domestic crisis.
"Our country has been given fair
warning of this danger to our homeland-and time to prepare," Bush said
during a speech to the National Naval
Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Salisbury, Md.-based Perdue Farms,
Inc. has set up a hotline for consumers
to call for food safety questions related
to A.I. as it reiterates that the disease "is
not a food safety issue."
"We are planning for the possibility of a
case of the avian influenza, and educating
our consumers is part of that preparation,"
said Julie DeYoung, a spokeswoman for
Perdue Farms Inc., which has posted information and facts about the bird flu on
its Web site.
Companies such as Tyson Foods and

Perdue have also announced that they
are reviewing biosecurity practices at
thousands of their producers' facilities
in light of the A.I. threat.
Officials with KFC, the biggest fastfood chicken chain is reportedly preparing a consumer education campaign to assure customers about the
safety of chicken served at its restaurants. Officials with KFC's parent
company, Yum Brands, Inc., hope to
avert any loss of business due to A.I.
fears, which analysts say could result
in U.S. sales decreasing by as much as
20 percent.
Meanwhile, officials from the National
Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and the Egg Safety Center recently launched a Web site (www.avian
influenzainfo.com) to respond to public

concern about A.I. The overriding theme
of the site is that the disease is not a food
safety threat. The message on the site's
opening page, "It's not in your food,"
is accompanied by links to information
about A.I., including frequently asked
questions, news stories and what the U.S.
industry is doing to protect its flocks.
The site launched just days before the
Thanksgiving holiday, reassuing U.S.
consumers about the safety of poultry
products that are the staples of most holiday dinners.
"As Thanksgiving is approaching and
nearly every American will have turkey
at the center of their plate, this Web site
will remind people that we don't import
any turkeys into the United States," said
Sherrie Rosenblatt, N.T.F.'s director of
marketing and communications.

Researchers use bacteriocins to fight
Campylobacter in chickens
ATHENS, Ga. - Bacteriocins, proteins produced by bacteria, can reduce
Campylobacter pathogens to very low levels in chicken intestines and could
help reduce human exposure to foodborne pathogens. According to findings
from an international research project led by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's
Agricultural Research Service, bacteriocins in the gut of chickens can crowd
out pathogenic bacteria, making it less likely that pathogens could infect poultry or humans. The research was coordinated by scientists at the A.R.S. Richard B. Russell Research Center. They collaborated with scientists from the
former Soviet Union on the project.
After evaluating tens of thousands of bacterial isolates from poultry production
environments, researchers found promise in numerous organisms for anti-Campylobacter activity, namely Bacillus circulans and Paenibacillus polymyxa.
Researchers also successfully enhanced the production of bacteriocins, making it more attractive for industrial testing. According to an A.R.S. spokesman,
there is substantial industry interest in licensing the technology, and bacteriocins could become an alternative to antibiotics for protecting poultry.
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November 2005

MEAT&POULTRY

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Meat + Poultry - November 2005

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