This document summarizes a presentation on food/pork safety analysis. It discusses contemporary challenges in animal agriculture including food security, safety, welfare, and environmental impact. It provides data on increasing global food demand and production. It then focuses on pork safety, covering biological hazards like pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc.) and antimicrobial resistance. The effects of conventional versus alternative pork production systems on pathogen prevalence are reviewed. The document emphasizes the need for improved consumer education given the gap between scientific facts and consumer perceptions.

1. Food/Pork Safety AnalysisFood/Pork Safety Analysis
Marcos H. Rostagno, DVM, MPVM, PhD
USDA-ARS
West Lafayette, Indiana
WPX – Pork Academy – Des Moines, IA (06/06/2013)

2. Contemporary ChallengesContemporary Challenges
in Animal Agriculturein Animal Agriculture
• Food Security
• Food Safety
• Animal Welfare
• Environmental Impact

3. Food SecurityFood Security
Global Food DemandGlobal Food Demand
20002000ss 20502050 60-70%60-70%
19701970ss – 1990– 1990ss::  50%50%
Options:Options:
 ProductivityProductivity (Technology)(Technology)
 Area/landArea/land
Combination of bothCombination of bothUnited Nations, FAO (2009)

5.  $$$ =$$$ =  ConsumptionConsumption

6. Global Production Increase
from 2001 to 2011
USDA (2011)
Total Global Production
(2011)
Beef  56.8 M ton
Poultry  81.0 M ton
Pork  101.1 M ton
Pork has beenPork has been
the meat productthe meat product
most consumed andmost consumed and
produced, since 1979!produced, since 1979!

7. Agricultural illiteracyAgricultural illiteracy Technology rejectionTechnology rejection

8. Priorities driving consumer food choices
(Center for Food Integrity, 2012)
Safe
Affordable
Nutritious
(56.87%)
Productivity
Profitability
(8.12%)
Environment
Welfare
(35.01%)

9. Availability + Safety of the food supplyAvailability + Safety of the food supply
Food Safety Issues:
 Chemical hazards
 Physical hazards
 Biological hazards
. Pathogens
. Antimicrobial Resistance
Quality assurance
Complex challenges
On-farm (pre-harvest) focus

10. Pork Safety - Biological HazardsPork Safety - Biological Hazards
((PathogensPathogens))
Bacterial Pathogens:
Salmonella enterica
Campylobacter coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Yersinia enterocolitica
Emerging Pathogens:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium difficile
Hepatitis E virus
Caliciviruses
Noroviruses
Parasites:
Taenia solium
Trichinella spiralis
Toxoplasma gondii

11. Scallan et al. (2011)
According to USDA-ERSAccording to USDA-ERS
$2.3 billion (in 1998 U$)$2.3 billion (in 1998 U$)
Medical costs and productivity lossesMedical costs and productivity losses
Frenzen et al.(1999)

12. Incidence of foodborne pathogens in the U.S.
Healthy People 2010
Salmonella (6.8)
Campylobacter (12.3)
E. coli O157 (1.0)
Source: www.cdc.gov/foodnet/data/reports.html

13. SalmonellaSalmonella: a food safety priority for the pork industry!: a food safety priority for the pork industry!
Attribution: Pork productsAttribution: Pork products  5-30% Human salmonellosis5-30% Human salmonellosis
US (6-9%)US (6-9%)
EU (15-25%)EU (15-25%)
Salmonella prevalence + levels in the GIT
(Determinants of the pork safety risk)
Berends et al.(1996):
Infected pig  Harvest line = 3 - 4x risk of Salmonella-contaminated carcass
SalmonellaSalmonella contamination of pork occurs within abattoirscontamination of pork occurs within abattoirs
(Harvest and processing line)(Harvest and processing line)
Infected pigs (“carriers”)Infected pigs (“carriers”)

14. Positive Salmonella tests in the PR/HACCP verification
testing program from 1998 to 2011
(Market hogs - All sizes)
www.fsis.usda.gov

15. From Pig to PorkFrom Pig to Pork
SalmonellaSalmonella Prevalence and Levels in the GI tractPrevalence and Levels in the GI tract
Salmonella
Salmonella contamination risk
contamination risk
FarmFarm TransportTransport LairageLairage Harvest &Harvest &
ProcessingProcessing

16. Salmonella enterica prevalence:
First pull versus close out groups of market pigs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Bacteriology Serology
Prevalence(%)
First Pull
Close Out
43/405 (10.6%, 95%C.I. 6.03–15.2%)
vs.
80/405 (19.8%, 95%C.I. 11.3–28.2%)
85/450 (18.9%, 95%C.I. 12.7–25.1%)
vs.
226/450 (50.2%, 95%C.I. 12.7–25.1%)
9.2%
P<0.05
31.3%
P<0.05
Rostagno et al. (2009)

17. Effect of transport and lairage
on Salmonella prevalence
(Field Study)Prevalence(%)
a,b,c: P<0.05
Rostagno & Richert (2010)

18. Ctr: Control
FW: Feed Withdrawal (12 h)
T: Transport (2 h)
FWT: Feed Withdrawal + Transport
a
b
a
b
a a
a
b
a a a a
IleumIleum CecumCecum RectumRectum
Log10CFU/gofsample
a,b:a,b: PP<0.05<0.05
Salmonella levels in market-weight pigs
subjected to feed withdrawal and/or transport
Rostagno et al. (2012)

19. Effect of stress on the susceptibility
of market-age pigs to Salmonella
(Transport and/or mixing)
Rostagno & Lay (in preparation)
a
b b,c
c
aaa
b
a,b,c:a,b,c: PP<0.05<0.05 a,b:a,b: PP<0.05<0.05
C = Control
M = Mixing w/ unfamiliar pig (6 h)
T = Transport (1 h)
T+M = Transport + Mixing

20. www.fsis.usda.gov

21. Pork Safety - Biological HazardsPork Safety - Biological Hazards
((Antimicrobial ResistanceAntimicrobial Resistance))
What???

22. Antimicrobial Resistance: Food AnimalsAntimicrobial Resistance: Food Animals  HumansHumans
Phillips et al.(2004)Phillips et al.(2004)

23. ResiduesResidues
Resistant PathogensResistant Pathogens
Resistant CommensalsResistant Commensals
EnvironmentalEnvironmental
ContaminationContamination
Potential Routes of Antimicrobial ResistancePotential Routes of Antimicrobial Resistance
Transmission From Pigs to HumansTransmission From Pigs to Humans

25. USDA – NARMS (2010)

26. CDC – NARMS (2010)

27. CDC – NARMS (2010)

28. ““Alternative” Pork Production SystemsAlternative” Pork Production Systems
Assumption: Happy Pigs = Safe PorkAssumption: Happy Pigs = Safe Pork

29. “Alternative” Production Systems
Key changes:
 Housing facilities/conditions
 Management practices
Effects onEffects on
ecology and epidemiologyecology and epidemiology
of pathogensof pathogens
??????
““All Natural”All Natural”
““Free-Range”Free-Range”
““Organic”Organic”

Outdoor accessOutdoor access

30. Foodborne (bacterial) PathogensFoodborne (bacterial) Pathogens
 Limited data available
 No clear pattern (Conventional x Alternative)
However…However…

31. Pathogen Location Sample source Indoor Outdoor
Salmonella* Farm Feces 99.6% 0.4%
Slaughter Carcass pre-evisceration 10.4% 89.6%
Slaughter Carcass post-evisceration 14.1% 85.9%
Slaughter Carcass post-chill 37.5% 62.5%
Campylobacter** Farm Feces 55.7% 44.3%
Slaughter Carcass pre-evisceration 9.4% 90.6%
Slaughter Carcass post-evisceration 44.2% 55.8%
Slaughter Carcass post-chill 0% 100%
Proportion of Salmonella and Campylobacter isolates recovered
from pigs originating from indoor and outdoor production systems
Adapted from Gebreyes et al. (2005)** and Thakur et al. (2007)*.

32. Antimicrobial ResistanceAntimicrobial Resistance
Quintana-Hayashi & Thakur (2012)
Tadesse et al. (2011)

33. Biological Hazards: PathogensBiological Hazards: Pathogens
Taenia solium
Toxoplasma gondii
Trichinella spiralis
ParasitesParasites

34. Helminth Outdoor* Indoor (Extensive)** Indoor (Intensive)***
Ascaris + + +
Oesophagostomum + + (+)
Trichuris + + (+)
Strongyloides + +
Hyostrongylus + (+)
Metastrongylus +
Stephanurus (+) (+)
Ascarops (+)
Physocephalus (+)
Macracanthorhynchus (+)
Trichinella (+) (+)
Taenia (+)
Schistosoma (+)
Fasciola (+)
Dicrocoelium (+)
Occurrence of helminths in different types of pork production systems
Adapted from Nansen and Roepstorff (1999)

35. Reference Production Stage Prevalence
Davies et al.(1998) Free-range 19%
Total confinement 0.01%
Wang et al. (2002) Sows (Not confined) 20.2%
Sows (Confined) 11.6%
Market hogs (Not confined) 4.4%
Market hogs (Confined) 2.3%
Gebreyes et al. (2008) Outdoor 6.8%
Indoor 1.1%
Toxoplasma gondiiToxoplasma gondii in the U.S.in the U.S.

37. Pork-associated outbreaks???
Oh, yeah!Oh, yeah!
I’m safe!!!I’m safe!!!

39. Complexity = Risk of Unintended ConsequencesComplexity = Risk of Unintended Consequences

40. Does the pork industry have a problem???Does the pork industry have a problem???
Yes!Yes!
But, it’s not about safety!!!But, it’s not about safety!!!

41. Where does the consumer getWhere does the consumer get
information from???information from???
The (mis)information era!!!The (mis)information era!!!

42. ““Super Bugs”Super Bugs”
““Super Bacteria”Super Bacteria”
““Antibiotic Apocalypse”Antibiotic Apocalypse”
““Factory Farm”Factory Farm”

43. SCIENCESCIENCE
(Facts & Data)(Facts & Data)
CONSUMERCONSUMER
(Perception)(Perception)
The world is changing…

44. Consumer education is urgently needed!!!Consumer education is urgently needed!!!

45. “Given the central role
that food plays in
human welfare and
national stability, it is
shocking – not to
mention short-sighted
and potentially
dangerous – how little
money is spent on
agricultural research.”
Bill Gates

46. AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
USDA-ARS Scientists
Purdue University Faculty
Gary Nowling
Rita Lockeridge
Lots of Students!!!
Thank you!!!Thank you!!!