
Questions and Answers
about PREEMPT USDA Researchers Create New Product That Reduces Salmonella in
ChickensBy Sandy
Miller Hays March 19, 1998WASHINGTON, March 19--A new product created by researchers
at the U.S. Department of Agriculturesignificantly reduces potential salmonella contamination in chickens,
Agriculture Secretary
Dan Glickmanannounced today in a speech at the National Press Club. "Our greatest weapon in the battle to ensure food safety is new
technology," said Secretary Glickman. "Today our priority food safety research
has really paid off, giving us the ability to significantly reduce potentially
dangerous salmonella contamination in the chicken Americans eat." In U.S. field tests involving 80,000 chickens, the product, called
PREEMPT, reduced salmonella from about seven percent in untreated chickens to
zero percent in the treated. The Food and Drug
Administration this week approved PREEMPT, marking the first time FDA has
approved a mixture of bacteria as a type of animal drug known as a "competitive
exclusion product." The new product preempts the growth of salmonella in
chickens' intestines by introducing a blend of 29 live, non-harmful bacteria
naturally present in healthy adult chickens. It has long been known that chickens at least three weeks old have
a natural resistance to salmonella colonization in the intestines. Scientists
have also known that administering baby chicks the bacteria from older chickens
protected the chicks from salmonella. But scientists did not know exactly which
of the intestinal bacteria were most effective. The newly developed mixture can
be sprayed in a mist over newly hatched chicks to give them the same level of
salmonella resistance that develops in an older bird. "This approval marks another successful step in the concerted
effort FDA, USDA, and other government agencies have made to enhance the safety
of the nation's food supply," said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., FDA's lead deputy
commissioner. "FDA is committed to facilitating the development of any
promising technology that can improve food safety at every stage -- from farm
to table." PREEMPT is the successful result of a public-private partnership.
USDA scientists worked with MS Bioscience of Dundee, Illinois to develop
PREEMPT. USDA has patented the mixture. MS Bioscience has a licensing agreement
to market the product. A similar product, developed by the same research group,
is now being tested in pigs. Salmonella may be transmitted to people via contaminated poultry.
While PREEMPT can help poultry producers reduce the risk of salmonella
contamination, it should be used as part of a comprehensive series of proper
food handling and preparation measures designed to minimize the risk posed by
all potential foodborne pathogens. Chicken must still be properly handled and
thoroughly cooked to be safe. There are an estimated 2 million cases of salmonella poisoning
each year. Of these, about 40,000 cases are culture-confirmed. Most exposure is
from raw or undercooked meat, poultry, milk and eggs. The human health care
bill for salmonellosis averages about $4 billion annually. Scientific contact: Donald Corrier, ARS Food Animal
Protection Research, College Station, Texas, phone (409) 260-9484, fax (409)
260-9332, [email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |