EBA suggests updating the Instruction for the prevention and elimination of salmonellosis in poultry

30/ 01/ 2020

EBA Animal Health Committee members support amendments to the instruction that will allow live vaccines to be used in the breeding of the poultry livestock. It is the use of live vaccines during poultry farming that guarantees food safety from the very first days. This opinion was expressed by the Associations experts during a meeting of the Committee, on January 28, with the participation of representatives of state authorities, vaccine and poultry producers. The issue of salmonellosis in poultry farming is quite acute, as the virus can be transmitted through food and harm human health. European Union studies state that about 50% of all deaths from salmonellosis were caused by the consumption of eggs and egg products. At the same time, according to the estimations of the European Food Safety Authority, in 30 years, there were no human deaths from the Salmonella vaccine strain, while nearly 92 000 people died from the Salmonella field strain just in 2018. Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection have announced their main warnings about the possible consequences of changing the current instruction on the prevention of salmonellosis, namely - the threat to human health, the possible loss of export markets for poultry producers and the need for additional funding to carry out additional food researches in the case of salmonella infection. The issue of negotiations with trading partners is debatable since Ukraine regularly has an audit performed by the European Commission regarding the compliance of national legislation and control systems. The parties agreed to contact the European Commission for clarification on whether these amendments would require an additional audit. It was separately emphasized on the need for additional funding for further researches. Veterinary drug producers stressed that the changes in the instruction do not imply additional costs by the state, since the government is already conducting laboratory researches, and the necessary additional materials to identify the field or vaccine strain will be provided free of charge by vaccine producers. In the end, the parties agreed to discuss the issue in detail after receiving a response from the European Union regarding the obligation to carry out an additional audit of the state control system in the poultry sector. For reference: Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection - Head of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine Borys Kobal and Head of the Department of Organization of Anti-epizootic Measures Oleksiy Klimenok, representatives of the Directorate of Food Safety of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, members of Ukrainian Poultry Association and Ukrainian poultry producers were present at the meeting.

This opinion was expressed by the Association’s experts during a meeting of the Committee, on January 28, with the participation of representatives of state authorities, vaccine and poultry producers.

The issue of salmonellosis in poultry farming is quite acute, as the virus can be transmitted through food and harm human health. European Union studies state that about 50% of all deaths from salmonellosis were caused by the consumption of eggs and egg products.

At the same time, according to the estimations of the European Food Safety Authority, in 30 years, there were no human deaths from the Salmonella vaccine strain, while nearly 92 000 people died from the Salmonella field strain just in 2018.

Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection have announced their main warnings about the possible consequences of changing the current instruction on the prevention of salmonellosis, namely – the threat to human health, the possible loss of export markets for poultry producers and the need for additional funding to carry out additional food researches in the case of salmonella infection.

The issue of negotiations with trading partners is debatable since Ukraine regularly has an audit performed by the European Commission regarding the compliance of national legislation and control systems. The parties agreed to contact the European Commission for clarification on whether these amendments would require an additional audit.

It was separately emphasized on the need for additional funding for further researches. Veterinary drug producers stressed that the changes in the instruction do not imply additional costs by the state, since the government is already conducting laboratory researches, and the necessary additional materials to identify the field or vaccine strain will be provided free of charge by vaccine producers.

In the end, the parties agreed to discuss the issue in detail after receiving a response from the European Union regarding the obligation to carry out an additional audit of the state control system in the poultry sector.

For reference:

Representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection – Head of the Department of Food Safety and Veterinary Medicine Borys Kobal and Head of the Department of Organization of Anti-epizootic Measures Oleksiy Klimenok, representatives of the Directorate of Food Safety of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine, members of Ukrainian Poultry Association and Ukrainian poultry producers were present at the meeting.