Implementing Pre- Harvest Food Safety-- The U.S. Approach By Thomas J. Billy, Administrator Food Safety and Inspection Service U.S. Department of Agriculture

Challenges to Pre- Harvest Food Safety Limited information on effective practices National governments have limited authority Numerous variables exist, such as farm practices, animal health, and the environment

U.S. Farm-to-Table Strategy “Those in control of each segment must bear the responsibility for identifying and preventing or reducing food safety hazards.”

Pathogen Reduction/HACCP Rule Cornerstone of strategy HACCP, performance standards for Salmonella, testing for generic E. coli, sanitation SOP’s Ripple effect to pre-harvest level Results: reduced Salmonella on products; reduced human illnesses

Factors Driving Pre- harvest Change Regulatory requirements –HACCP rule –E. coli O157:H7 –FDA feed ban Marketplace demands –McDonald’s Corp. Consumers

Third-Party Certification Programs Demand growing, e.g. MinnCERT Assure purchasers that certain practices have been followed Non-Hormone Treated Cattle Program

FSIS Pre-Harvest Strategy No regulatory authority at pre-harvest Educate producers Research Farm-to-table risk assessments One size doesn’t fit all Transparency critical

Educating Producers Use existing infrastructure to communicate Partnerships with state animal health agencies Commodity-specific programs such as Trichina-safe pork certification Guidelines for producers Producer organizations play role

Research More research needed to identify specific practices to reduce hazards Multiple intervention strategies needed Promising interventions include competitive exclusion, feed and water additives Decoded genome for E. coli O157:H7 may lead to a vaccine

Farm-to-Table Risk Assessments Salmonella Enteritidis –Led to Egg Safety Action Plan –Farm-to-table interventions being implemented by various agencies FSIS Risk Assessment Center

Future Plans Build on current activities Increased role for veterinarians at pre- harvest level –education –disease traceback –residue avoidance

Recommendations New requirements for meat and poultry plants should have a ripple effect on production sector Partnerships critical Science, through risk assessment, is key to developing effective risk reduction strategies

Goal Goal “We must bring producers into the food safety business in order for the farm-to- table chain to stay connected and be effective.”