Questions and Answers: Pathogen Reduction Initiative for Meat and Poultry

The Pathogen Reduction Initiative (PRI) is aimed at decreasing the health risks and economic impact of food-borne pathogens in Canadian meat and poultry.

While pathogens, such as Listeria and Salmonella, are impossible to eliminate completely from food products, pathogen reduction programs in meat and poultry will complement and build on the progress Canada has already made toward improving the safety of our food system.

The main activities of this initiative will be to

  • assess current pathogen levels in Canadian meat and poultry
  • establish pathogen reduction targets
  • identify and implement strategies to monitor and reduce pathogen levels

The Pathogen Reduction Initiative is a joint project of the federal, provincial and territorial governments in Canada.

About the initiative

What is the purpose of this initiative?

The main objective is to improve food safety. While pathogens are impossible to eliminate completely from food products, pathogen reduction programs in meat and poultry will build on the progress Canada has already made toward improving the safety of our food system. Human illness related to contaminated meat and poultry continues to be a significant burden on the health care system in Canada.

What are some of the impacts of foodborne illness in Canada?

Data collected by Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that approximately 11 million Canadians suffer from acute illness each year as a result of exposure to foodborne pathogens.

Economic costs, including health care and lost productivity, are estimated to be up to $3.7 billion annually.

Why is this work important to pursue now?

The primary goal of this initiative is a safer food system for Canadians. Human illness related to contaminated meat and poultry continues to be a significant burden on the health care system in Canada. This initiative will help us identify problematic pathogen levels in these foods, then seek out and implement strategies to reduce the risk of illness.

We also know that foodborne pathogens have an economic impact. Canada has worked to establish more stringent food safety measures as new knowledge and technologies emerge, and our trading partners continue to do the same. Baseline data is critical to developing and evaluating the performance of an outcome-based national pathogen reduction program. Doing this critical research now will allow Canada to

  • maintain its position as a world leader in food safety, and
  • demonstrate that we meet or exceed the food safety standards of our key trading partners.

How were the four initial pathogens chosen for study?

These pathogens were chosen based on scientific data from reputable and peer-reviewed sources, because they have significant impact on public health.

  • Raw chicken is cited as a main vehicle for transmitting Salmonella and Campylobacter.
  • Verotoxigenic E. coli O157:H7 is linked to beef, especially ground beef.
  • Listeria monocytogenes has been associated with the ready-to-eat meats (RTE).

National baseline studies

What is the purpose of the national baseline studies?

Baseline studies are required to establish scientific knowledge about the levels of pathogens in meat and poultry during production and sale.

The results of the studies will help set performance targets for reducing pathogens.

Will industry associations be included in this initiative?

Industry collaboration is critical to developing and implementing appropriate pathogen reduction measures and, ultimately, to the success of the initiative.

Industry associations attended the initial information session in February 2011 as an introduction to this initiative, and will continue to be consulted throughout the process.

Will industry be included in discussions regarding any new mitigation measures as a result of this initiative?

It is too early to determine the steps that might be taken, but industry will be consulted on any proposed changes.

Any potential new or enhanced mitigation measures will be discussed with industry and other key stakeholders throughout the course of the initiative.

Will provincial plants be included in the national baseline study?

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will be performing national baseline studies of federally registered establishments for this initiative.

Some provinces will carry out studies involving provincially inspected plants. All studies will contribute to overall national data on pathogen levels.

First national baseline study

What will be the first national baseline study?

The first national baseline study will be done on Salmonella and Campylobacter in broiler chicken flocks (at the abattoir), carcasses and retail chicken meat products.

What methodology will be used in the broiler chicken baseline study?

In 2007-2008 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a baseline study (2007–08)of young chickens - PDF (199.63 kb). Canada’s study will use the same analytical methods to detect and enumerate Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp.

Some of these methods are already used by Canadian companies that export to the United States. This allows comparison of industry data with future national baseline estimates.

Will the baseline studies include all chicken plants in Canada?

No. The CFIA will be selecting a large number of federally registered establishments across Canada based on their production volume.

In addition, several provinces are, or will be, conducting separate baseline studies in provincially inspected plants. The provinces will be using sampling and analytical methodologies similar to the CFIA study so that there may be some measure of comparison to information obtained at the federal level.

Who will be conducting the sampling in the first baseline study?

The CFIA’s inspection staff, as well as industry staff with CFIA oversight, will collect abattoir samples, including caeca and whole eviscerated carcasses from broiler chickens.

Federal, provincial and territorial government organizations will be involved in collecting raw chicken meat products from retail outlets across Canada. This will include the following:

  • provincial ministries of agriculture in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Quebec
  • provincial ministries of health in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Ontario and Saskatchewan
  • the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
  • the CFIA

Finding pathogens in meat and poultry during the baseline studies

What will the CFIA do if it finds Salmonella or Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7 or Listeria monocytogenes during the baseline study?

If these pathogens are found during the baseline studies, the CFIA will take action as we would for any find discovered through regular CFIA monitoring programs. This would include undertaking an investigation to determine the extent of the contamination and working with other federal government partners as appropriate to lessen potential health risks.

Upon completion of national baseline studies

What will be done with the results of national baseline studies?

The results of the studies will be used to develop pathogen reduction programs, including setting performance targets.

They will also serve as benchmarks against which industry can measure the effectiveness of their hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) programs and/or intervention measures.

The results may also be used to support future risk assessment studies.

When the national baseline studies are complete, does the government intend to establish national pathogen reduction targets?

Yes. This is one of the stated objectives of the Pathogen Reduction Initiative.

Will the results of the baseline studies be shared with the public?

Yes, when the baseline studies are complete, a report will be published on the CFIA website. No confidential business information will be shared.

Will HACCP programs in plants be evaluated based on these results?

The results of the baseline study will not be used to evaluate the performance of the HACCP programs of individual establishments. The results will be used to evaluate the overall performance of the industry in controlling pathogens since the mandatory implementation of HACCP.

National baseline study data will allow industry to measure the effectiveness of their HACCP programs (which includes intervention measures) over time by comparing the results of testing programs with the baseline data.

If at any time during the baseline study a significant problem is identified and a recall is warranted, the CFIA will work to remove affected products from the marketplace.

Why not simply focus efforts on educating consumers about proper food handling and cooking?

Consumer education alone will not eliminate foodborne illness. In addition to safe food handling information provided to the public, many countries have adopted management strategies to eliminate or reduce pathogen levels, including setting performance measures and implementing interventions on-farm and during processing.

Exploring ways to reduce pathogen levels on-farm, and during processing and production, could contribute toward safer food handling at the consumer level.

What future actions will be taken to minimize the pathogen levels?

The baseline studies are the first step. Data gathered through the studies will support work to develop appropriate intervention measures at all points along the food chain, from farm to processing to retail.