V.MFS.0448 - Microbiological food safety of effluent from animal industries

Summary

The Listeriosis outbreak linked to rockmelons and the needle contamination of strawberries have been high impact events for the fresh produce industry. The event nearly destroyed the whole industry and was predicted to cost the rockmelon industry $60m in addition to the seven deaths and one miscarriage.

It caused public health and regulatory authorities to drive some changes in production practices and biosecurity. For example, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) are reviewing the primary production and processing requirements for high-risk horticulture due to the recent events. They are especially interested in current practices such as usage and treatment of manure by processors and fresh produce producers.

Previously funded feedlot studies from MLA have suggested that our industry is not a significant contributor, however there were certain elements the previous project did not take into account, as they were not considered important at that time. These included different test methods, the number of samples and the limit of detections. This project will provide us with additional evidence against contemporary standards, inform us of any changes since the last project and identify potential risks since previous research was performed.

Objectives

• This project will survey microbiological quality of meat waste and effluent streams along the value chain, ranging from farm through to processing establishments.
• It will provide clarity about potential risks which may not have been previously considered for the Australian red meat industry in upcycling.

Key findings

• Based on current practices and test results for the participants in this project, the overall risks of transferring microbiological hazards from processed waste and effluent through the red meat supply chain appear relatively low.
• The environmental protection agencies in each jurisdiction appear to control and manage major microbiological food safety-related risks by using licensing requirements for the various categories of waste produced in each sector.

Benefits to industry

• Based on the results of this project, the red meat supply chain has increased awareness of potential risks from pathogenic bacteria not being fully deactivated by current practices.
• Downstream users of processed effluent and wastewater and composted manure, such as the horticulture sector, will benefit from an increased understanding of the hazards present in these products and the risks they present.

MLA action

It is recommended that MLA consult with several key sectors as well as inform the respective state Environmental Protection Agencies and State Health Departments about the control measures in place.

It is also recommended that MLA consult further on pathogen prevalence with those composting organic waste and key industry stakeholders especially in horticulture (including nuts).