A joint scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) includes recommended strategies for the food animal sector to prevent the spread of avian influenza and its transmission to humans.
Coordination across the agricultural, food safety, cybersecurity, and emerging cognitive security landscape must become a top priority and be seamlessly integrated across the international and national biodefense enterprise. Part 2 of this column series explores food safety and business decision-making in the face of cognitive security threats.
Marking the intersection between human decision-making and biosecurity, deliberate attacks present risks like the poisoning or adulteration of food products, or cyberattacks targeting control or process systems. Collectively, "cognitive security"—or protecting the human decision-making process—needs to be a consideration for industry, government, and academia as an element of food security.
The International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit, hosted by the University of Arkansas (U of A) Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in Fayetteville, Arkansas on September 30-October 3, focused on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and other animal pathogens and viruses affecting food safety and public health.
In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Scott Gustin, M.S., Technical Advisor for Elanco Animal Health, about the crucial role that farm biosecurity plays in ensuring food safety, best practices for farm personnel, and the future landscape of biosecurity.
Last year marked the beginning of the worst avian influenza outbreak to date, and the U.S. is still experiencing the chaos of this virus. Egg farmers, with the help of industry partners, have continued to develop and enhance biosecurity and safety measures that work to reduce the spread of the virus and maintain proper bird health.
A recent study of hatcheries has demonstrated the efficacy of tailored advice on preventive controls for Salmonella, as well as provided insight into the prevalence of the pathogen in commercial British hatcheries.
The cold food industry must pay special attention to the evolving security requirements related to critical assets, starting first with limiting access to refrigeration plant areas.