Farm Assurance

Question 1

You are a practising vet and you have been asked to provide advice to a client who has a flock of free range 200 layers selling eggs to the public. The farm is an open farm and children are encouraged to collect the eggs and the eggs are sold to the public? The farmer has become concerned about the risks of this approach and has asked you for advice

How would you minimise disease introduction to the unit?

Answer 1

• Keep animals and their housing clean
• Minimise animals moving between and within farms and, in particular, the introduction of new animals à consider whether replacement stock can come from within the premises rather than being brought in (this would reduce the likelihood of new infections being inadvertently brought onto the premises)
• Strict biosecurity:
  
  • Don’t bring infection onto the farm, or spread it around on the farm, on clothes, footwear or hands à have clear washing facilities for people entering and leaving the farm
  • Where possible, limit and control farm visitors (people and vehicles)
  • Keep farm access routes, parking areas, yards, feeding and storage areas clean and tidy
  • Have pressure washers, brushes, hoses, water and disinfectant available, and make sure visitors use them
  • Clean and then disinfect any farm machinery/equipment if you are sharing with a neighbouring farm
  • Dispose of fallen stock properly
  • Make a flock health plan with a veterinarian including isolation for new or returning stock
  • Be vigilant to spot any signs of disease among the birds, and report suspicions of notifiable disease to the APHA as soon as possible
• Keep facility clean and tidy to discourage vermin
• Clean and disinfect vehicles and trailers (preferably with a power hose)
• Always know the health status of animals being brought onto the site (keep incoming and returning stock separate from the rest of the flock)

Question 2

How would you prevent disease spread from wildlife to birds or from birds to people?

Answer 2

From birds to people:

• Urge visitors not to get in close contact with the birds
• Make sure that routes around the premises prevent visitors from entering non-access areas e.g. places where work is going on, or where manure is stored etc.
• Direct visitors to washing facilities as they leave any animal contact areas and before they leave the premises
• Keep the premises as clean as practicable and ensure areas to which visitors have access are free from any build-up of faeces
• The layout of the premises should be planned to minimise the likelihood of contamination of footwear, pushchairs, wheelchairs etc. Where this unavoidably occurs, you will need to consider providing suitable facilities to allow visitors to clean contaminated footwear and wheels on pushchairs and wheelchairs. The facilities should be arranged to reduce the risk of personal contamination from manure, liquid run-off etc. during the cleaning process and be located so that people can easily wash their hands after this has been done

From wildlife to birds:

• Pest control program (+ keep the site clean to avoid attracting vermin)
• Keep the feed area clean. Chickens like to scratch on the ground, but excess feed attracts rats and mice. A rat-proof feeder can help
• Grass should be kept short, as long grass attracts wild birds and rodents, and favours the survival of viruses and bacteria
• Do not plan vegetation on the range which attracts wild birds e.g. avoid fruit-bearing trees and shrubs
• The best shade structures are sails and shade-cloth as these tend to scare away wild birds when they flap in the wind
• Do not provide feed outside as this attracts birds and rodents (also isolate feed silos from range areas)
• Do not allow free-standing water to collect à water for range irrigation must be treated to drinking water standard
• There must be secure fencing of the range to prevent access to domestic animals e.g. cats & dogs, and wild animals e.g. foxes
• Secured rodent baiting stations should be placed at 10m intervals around the perimeter fence and around the shed. Bait should be checked weekly and replaced q2-4wks, depending on vermin activity patterns (make sure baits are approved for outdoor use)

Question 3

You are a practising vet and you have been asked to provide advice to a client who has a flock of free range 200 layers selling eggs to the public. The farm is an open farm and children are encouraged to collect the eggs and the eggs are sold to the public? The farmer has become concerned about the risks of this approach and has asked you for advice

What practical advice would you provide to the farmer which would allow him to operate his business successfully and safely?

Answer 3

• Assume that all animals carry micro-organisms such as E. coli O157 that could represent a hazard to human health and acknowledge that E. coli O157 may be introduced to your premises at any time by new stock, wild birds and animals, or by visitors
• Decide which areas you want visitors to have access to and whether you want to allow visitors to have direct contact with the birds. Tell them about the risks and where and when they will be able to use washing facilities (provide information signs to remind them)
• Bear in mind when selecting animals for petting areas that young stock, stock under stress, pregnant stock or stock unfamiliar with people etc. are more likely to excrete micro-organisms such as E. coli O157
• Washing facilities should be sufficient for the expected numbers of visitors needing to use them at one time, and should include running water (preferably warm), soap and paper towels
• Alcohol gels and wipes are NOT a substitute for hand washing on farms
• Provide training and supervision for any farm workers on the need for visitors to wash and dry their hands thoroughly
• If you are selling food for human consumption do so only after visitors have passed animal contact areas and washing facilities
• Young children are amongst those members of society at greatest risk from serious complications associated with zoonotic disease so consider revising the idea that the children can freely go and collect the eggs à it would be more appropriate to have the eggs ready for purchase so that the children don’t get too close into contact with the birds

Question 4

What elements of the current dairy farm assurance programs as defined by the Red Tractor Scheme are likely to improve public health?

Answer 4

• Documents and procedures (DP):
  
  • DP.a.1 - systems must be in place to maintain the farm in a manner that does not present risks to food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection
  • DP.b - a documented plan for the effective management of serious incidents and potential emergency situations that threaten the welfare of livestock, food safety or the environment must be in place and known to key staff
• Traceability and assurance status (TI):
  
  • TI.a - cattle must be identified and records kept to maintain traceability
  • TI.b - livestock must be accompanied by the required movement and delivery information
  • TI.c.1 - it is recommended that bought-in livestock are bought from a farm-assured farm
• Vermin control (VC):
  
  • VC.a - systems must be in place to control vermin in areas where livestock and feed are kept
  • VC.a.1 - systems must be in place to control vermin in milk production areas
• Milk production (MP):
  
  • MP.a - the milk collection area must be kept practicably clean and tidy
  • MP.a.1 - the milk collection area must be externally lit to facilitate the safe collection of milk
  • MP.b - the dairy and milk storage area must be kept clean, tidy, and free from foul odours and airborne dust
  • MP.f - milk storage tanks are managed to reduce the risk of milk contamination
  • MP.g - milk cooling systems and storage tanks cool milk to required temperatures
  • MP.h - milk cooling systems and storage tanks must be maintained to ensure effective cooling and washing
  • MP.i - the milking parlour must be kept clean and tidy
  • MP.i.1 - equipment in the parlour must be clean
  • MP.l - the milk machine and all associated equipment, fixtures and fittings must be maintained and suitable
  • MP.l.1 - teat cup liners must be clean, free from damage and changed regularly
  • MP.n - water used in the milk production area that is in contact with teats/udders and internal surfaces must be safe
  • MP.o - chemicals and cleaning agents used within the milk production area must be suitable, stored and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
  • MP.p - temperature of the wash cycle must be checked regularly
  • MP.s - procedures must be in place to reduce the risk of contaminating milk and to inspect milk for abnormalities
  • MP.t - milk consigned for human consumption must be suitable for use [milk is unsuitable and discarded if from a TB reactor, or if the cow it derives from shows signs of disease, infection, udder inflammation or wounds, or is under medicine withdrawal period]
  • MP.u - systems must be in place to ensure that milk unfit for human consumption does not enter the milk storage tank
• Biosecurity and disease control (BI):
  
  • BI.a - control measures must be in place to minimise the spread of disease within the farm and between other farms
• Animal medicines and husbandry procedures (AM):
  
  • AM.g - livestock being treated must be clearly identified and prescribed withdrawal periods complied with

Question 5

Arla is the largest dairy processor in the UK. How does the new Arlagaarden standards improve public health and welfare?

Answer 5

• In the UK, Arla and Red Tractor have worked closely together during the development of Arlagården and Arla is fully supportive of the existing Red Tractor scheme. Arla farmers will continue to meet the Red Tractor requirements but in order to implement Arlagården and its additional 16 standards efficiently and effectively, both schemes will be assessed at the same time
• The most significant of the additional standards relates to the use of antibiotics. Arlagården places emphasis on ensuring farmers work closely with their vet to ensure that antibiotics are used as little as possible, but as much as necessary. Arlagården will require farmers to only use antibiotics for curing or alleviating diseases and illness rather than for preventative purposes
• The other additional Arlagården standards relating to public health/welfare are listed below:
  
  • Chemical pesticides, such as fly sprays, must not be used in the milk storage (tank) room
  • Veterinary medicinal products, udder and hoof care products, as well as disinfectants, must be used in such a way that the milk is not contaminated
  • Milking equipment and bulk tanks must be made of materials that are resistant to corrosion and are approved for food handling
  • Appropriate facilities and resources must be in place to milk the cows in the event of a power outage
  • A written procedure describing how treated animals are identified, recorded and milked, must be in place
  • In order to avoid potential contamination of milk, the vacuum supply to dump buckets must never be connected to the milk line [doesn’t apply if treated cows are milked last and the pipe is out of the tank]
  • Antibiotics can only be administered by veterinarians or by suitably skilled farm employees. Antibiotics must not be used for prophylactic purposes
  • If antibiotic dry cow therapy is required it must be prescribed by the practising veterinarian, based on the individual animal requirement and supported by an appropriate diagnostic test
  • Animals with known genetic defects that may have a negative impact on them or on the quality of the milk must not be included in breeding programmes
  • Where homeopathic and herbal products are used to treat livestock, the ingredients must be known

Question 6

What opportunities do you believe exist for vets who choose to fully engage with health planning, farm assurance and proactive health management? How will this also benefit for the farmer and consumer?

Answer 6

• Veterinary professionals are involved across the farm assurance process, from establishing and evaluating the standards that farm assurance schemes require, to developing veterinary health plans with farmers to promote compliance and facilitating cost-effective stockmanship and husbandry practices
• The veterinary profession also has a key role to play in informing and educating the public with regard to the value and provenance of animal-derived food
• Dairy farmers who participate in the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme will be required to involve their veterinary surgeon when reviewing their herd health plans - the assurance scheme’s dairy board says that it recognises the benefits to dairy farmers of working with a vet to identify underlying health issues in the herd and using a vet’s expertise to identify ways to improve

Question 7

How effective do you believe the Red Tractor logo has been in gaining public confidence in farm assured food?

Answer 7

• Food labels can often feature bewildering amounts of nutritional data and information about product origin. The Red Tractor cuts through the confusion because it’s increasingly recognised as an independent mark of quality and continues to attract support
• The logo provides transparency for consumers and differentiates quality-assured products
• The Union Jack in the logo guarantees the food is farmed and processed in the UK

Question 8

What do you envisage that increasing antimicrobial controls may have on farmers, vets, animals and consumers?

Answer 8

• Consumers can be more confident that food products from farms won’t be contaminated with antimicrobial residues
• Animal welfare might be slightly compromised by the restricted use of antibiotics for fighting infections. However, access to effective antibiotics is imperative, and emergence and spread of resistance leading to depletion of the available antibiotics would have even more severe consequences.
• Over-use of antibiotics can cause increased prevalence of superbugs such as MRSA
• The campaign group ‘the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics’ wants all supermarkets to publish antibiotic-use data by farming system, so that consumers can compare free-range and organic farming with indoor farming and intensive systems
• Sales of antibiotics for use in animals in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since records began, exceeding a government target to combat the threat of AMR 5 years ago
• In 2013 the UK government launched a strategy to reduce the development and spread of antibiotic resistance in animals and humans. As part of the strategy the government has provided expert advice to the farming industry and veterinary profession, encouraging more responsible use of antibiotics to safeguard them for the future
• Everyone working with animals has a role to play, together with those in the medical profession, to monitor use and reduce it wherever possible. Good farm management, biosecurity and animal husbandry systems are vital to achieve this. This could end up costing farmers slightly more money in order to get their farms up to the standards required but in the long run it is thought that the benefits will outweigh the costs significantly

Question 9

Salmonella Control in Pigs

Why has the Salmonella control programs as applied by vets struggled to reduce the level of salmonella on farms?

Answer 9

• Pigs can be infected with more than one serotype at a time
• Clinical disease observed in pigs is usually short-lived but sub-clinical infections can persist for longer periods of time
• The rarity of clinical signs and lack of impact on welfare makes it difficult to identify the majority of infected pigs. Problems will usually only occur when the level of infection (number of organisms) in the animal reaches critical levels. However, pigs showing no outward sign of infection are the most likely route for Salmonella entering the food chain and often shed the organism into the environment (for up to 28wks) and infect pen mates. It is these animals, therefore, that need to be targeted for control
• Due to the lack of clinical infectious disease, farmers do not usually see the need to intervene to reduce its prevalence at farm level as a priority. Equally, the lack of any financial incentives or penalties in most EU member states may have led to the perception that Salmonella infection in pigs is of lesser importance than other swine diseases or Salmonella in poultry

Question 10

What lessons have been learned from the Pig Salmonella control program?

Answer 10

• Initial control programs didn’t focus on post-farm control i.e. measures to avoid carcass contamination at the end of the slaughter line [chilling, hot water showering, chemical and/or organic acid treatments, improvements in hygiene, flaming, scalding etc.]
• High levels of Salmonella at the slaughterhouse can increase the risk of zoonotic spread of salmonellosis from cross-contamination between carcases. Key measures, such as biosecurity and thorough cleaning and disinfection at all stages of production, are vital in ensuring that the risks from Salmonella are reduced
• EU legislation now requires abattoirs to identify farms where pigs show regular Salmonella contamination
• In January 2006 new EU Food Hygiene Legislation came into force, placing onus on the FBO to produce food safely through the application of good hygienic practices and food safety management procedures. This responsibility extends from the primary producer through the food chain up to the consumer (farm-to-fork approach)
• Salmonella control starts with weaners = it is important that farmers source and maintain Salmonella-free breeding stock and that they know the Salmonella status of their weaners and manage pigs to control cross-contamination

Question 11

Compare the success of the poultry salmonella program with that of the pig sector and explain why one has worked better than the other?

Answer 11

• The success of the Salmonella control programs in poultry has led to a reduction of more than half the number of human cases (currently around 80,000 cases/year)
• The relative % of cases related to Salmonella contaminated pork consumption has increased as a result of the success of Salmonella control programs in poultry.
• The procedure in pig production is generally a control program; that means that the aim is to maintain a generally low level of Salmonella in pig herds. At the same time the goal of a low level of Salmonella contamination of pork is also pursued through general and specific hygiene measures in the slaughterhouses. In contrast, the procedures in poultry production are eradication programmes in theory, where the aim is total freedom from Salmonella.
• Compared to pig production, strict biosecurity measures and eradication of Salmonella in the poultry breeding stock has in many countries successfully led to a low frequency of vertical Salmonella transmission in egg and broiler production