Are We Ready for a National Salmonella Control Program?

Control of contamination of meat and poultry with Salmonella is difficult because of the complexity of the paths of transmission of the organism, the large number of sources of the organism, and the large number of persons, groups, and agencies involved in the production of animal feed and food and in the regulation of these industries. Furthermore, there is a gap between the basic technology available to destroy or prevent contamination with Salmonella and the technology available that is acceptable, inexpensive, and applicable on a large scale. Support of research for the development of new technology amounts only to about $2.7 million. There are programs for the control of Salmonella in certain feeds and in the production, processing, further processing, and cooking of food. With current technology, an eradication program would likely cost far more to the consumer than could be justified by the benefits the consumer would derive from such eradication. Nevertheless, practical control of salmonella contamination can be achieved through progressive application of new technology developed through research.