Development and Implementation of a Voluntary HACCP Program for the Commercial Feed Industry

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Feed manufacturers will improve the quality and safety of feed through adoption of a voluntary HACCP program. We will perform 5 tasks that include: assessing the biological hazards in finished feeds and ingredients; implementing HACCP programs in 18 feed mills; exploring technologies to control hazards; analyzing the economies of implementing HACCP; and building a distance learning program.

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APPROACH: We will evaluate 18 commercial feed mills located within 600 miles of the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, KS comprised of 3 feed mills at cattle feedlots in TX, KS, and CO; 3 feed mills for vertically integrated broiler operations in AR, 3 feed mills producing feed for layers (KS, MO, NE), 3 feed mills manufacturing turkey feed in the northern tier states (ND, MN); 3 mills producing dairy feed in KS, SD, IA; and 3 feed mills producing swine feed in MO, IA, and KS. We will evaluate feed mills during winter, shortly after coarse grains are harvested which can contain higher levels of moisture and during the warmer months of late spring and summer. Detection, isolation, and quantitation of Salmonella spp. will be performed following methods described in FDA Bacteriological Analytical Manual (FDA-BAM, 2000). An evaluation of the current insect load for incoming ingredients and collection of baseline data on existing insect and rodent populations at the feed mills will be performed. To accomplish this goal, we will conduct training sessions for the HACCP teams at each feed mill. Besides the biological hazards, the HACCP team members will identify other potential hazards (including bio-terrorism), identify those hazards that can be controlled, recommend controls, and recommend corrective action when a deviation occurs. Sampling and evaluation of feed ingredients and finished feed will be performed following the implementation of the HACCP program at each feed mill. Thermal processing techniques explored in this study include short term atmospheric steam conditioning (5-15 second), long-term atmospheric steam conditioning (30-90 seconds), and high shear pressure conditioning (expander and extruder). Organic acid and other chemical control agents will be applied after the pellet at recommended label rates. Feed will be evaluated for bacterial contamination (Total Plate Counts, E. coli Counts, and Total Coliform Counts) following heat (steam) conditioning, pellet die, and cooler using procedures described in Task 1. Feed samples will be measured for temperature and moisture (procedures listed in Task 1) and water activity using a Decagon Water Activity Meter (Pullman, WA). An economic analysis of the impact of implementing HACCP in the feed industry involves two components. The first component involves the development of detailed pro forma budgets that document the specific costs of implementing HACCP. The second component involves an examination of the feasibility of alternative technologies that can be used to control hazards. Identification of training material topics will occur two ways. First, HACCP teams formed at each feed mill will participate in focus groups to assess adoption constraints of all kinds (e.g. educational, technical, economic). This input will enable the project team to identify and develop appropriate training materials necessary to implement a successful HACCP plan. Second, results from Tasks 1-3 will provide the necessary data to create science-based performance standards.
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Feed manufacturers will improve the quality and safety of feed through adoption of a voluntary HACCP program. We will perform 5 tasks that include: assessing the biological hazards in finished feeds and ingredients; implementing HACCP programs in 18 feed mills; exploring technologies to control hazards; analyzing the economies of implementing HACCP; and building a distance learning program.
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Feed manufacturers will continuously improve the quality and safety of feed as they adopt a voluntary hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) program in response to this project. This will help ensure delivery of safe meat, milk, and eggs to consumers through the elimination of food-borne pathogens and other hazards in animal feed and will help retain the comparative advantage of the U.S. agricultural industry in the global market. To accomplish this, we perform 4 tasks that include: assessing the chemical, physical, and biological hazards in finished feeds and ingredients; developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized HACCP programs in 15 feed mills; analyzing the economies of implementing a HACCP program; and building a distance learning program. We will measure Salmonella contamination in feed before and after thermal processing as the microbiological hazard indicator. We will assist teams develop and implement their voluntary HACCP program. The implementation of HACCP in the feed industry will largely depend on the economic costs of implementation, thus, we will perform an economic analysis of voluntary HACCP implementation. Distance learning modules (suitable for professional development and undergraduate instruction), Extension bulletins, workshops, and web-site communication of results will extend project results nationally and internationally.
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The 165+ million tons of animal feed produced annually in the United States represents an approximate market value of $25 billion.

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PROGRESS: 2002/09 TO 2006/08<BR>
During 2006, 35 feed industry participants attended HACCP training and 6 model plans were developed. Twenty of these participants completed or modified existing HACCP plans for their companies as an outgrowth of this training. Due to the low incidence of Salmonella in feed ingredients and finished feed, we selected Enterococcus spp. as the indicator bacteria to identify potential control points in the feed process. Samples were collected and analyzed for 4 feed manufacturers. The distance learning program website (http://agonline.tamu.edu/haccp)and training modules were prepared and a Feed Industry HACCP graduate level course will be offered in spring 2007. The economic analysis has been partially completed
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IMPACT: 2002/09 TO 2006/08<BR>
Companies representing approximately 30% of the US feed manufacturing capacity have sent representatives to HACCP training programs that were co-sponsored by national feed industry associations. These associations and agencies included the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), Animal Protein Producers Industry (APPI), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), Food and Drug Administration, National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the National Renderers Association (NRA). Common hazards and critical control points within the feed industry have been identified