Safety, flock by flock

Seeking to reassure consumers that U.S. chicken is safe to eat, leading poultry companies say they'll voluntarily test each flock to ensure it's free of potentially hazardous forms of avian influenza well before any of the birds are introduced into the companies' processing plants.
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The initiative, developed by the Washington-based National Chicken Council, involves nearly all of the major domestic poultry companies. Most of them not only actively participated in the testing program's development, they also had already begun testing ahead of the program's mid-January start date.

These measures, while a crucial element of the preventive equation, are only part of it. As the key point of contact between the farm and table, retailers would be wise to take a proactive role as well, say industry observers. Retailers must be prepared to address growing public concern regarding the recent increase in reported cases of the avian influenza virus in Asia and Europe.

Steve Harris, retail sector leader for Sturtevant, Wis.-based JohnsonDiversey North America, offers sage advice for grocers.

"Investing in infection-control measures is essentially like investing in an insurance policy," notes Harris. "Whatever investment retailers make now in strengthening their outbreak preparedness plans will benefit their responses to all future infectious disease threats." He points to JohnsonDiversey's own food safety training, protocols, consulting, online tools, and other key resources. In addition to helping retailers make preparations that will increase their capacity to respond to any future outbreaks of disease, JohnsonDiversey recently expanded its infection-control Web site to include worldwide information, links to other useful Web sites, and up-to-date news about avian flu.

The Web site, www.johnsondiversey.com, includes the latest in hygienic practices consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for proper handling of poultry, surface disinfection, thorough hand washing, and more.

"Retailers who visit the site will also find a list of our key disinfecting and cleaning products registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other international agencies as effective against avian influenza," says Harris.

JohnsonDiversey also offers customized on-the-job training and consulting services regarding food handling, designed to proactively reduce the risk of an outbreak, as well as effective intervention strategies in the event of one, he notes.