Feed Safety and BSE/Ruminant Feed Ban Support Project (U18)

<p>Abstract: The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) stages its feed program relative to capabilities that active partners in an integrated national food safety system should possess and concludes that without laboratory capability to detect pathogens such as Salmonella and E.coli0157:H7 in feed, especially direct human contact feeds, it cannot contribute the data required to participate in a modern food safety and public health system focused on prevention. WSDA proposes laboratory improvements to cure this deficiency. WSDA finds the discovery value of on-farm inspections to be very high but notes that these inspections cannot be done without FDA authority. WSDA describes how even very very low probability events are significant for prion diseases due to pre-clinical infectivity, long incubation periods and 100% mortality in animals and humans. WSDA describes Washington State's vulnerability to BSE agent release from imported Canadian cattle in age cohorts shared by the ongoing BSE positives identified by Canadian BSE surveillance. WSDA discusses BSE consumer perception and BSE rule complacency challenges resulting from the United States' absence of detected native classical BSE animals and the perception that the two detected atypical BSE native animals are without relevance to feed ban compliance. WSDA identifies the highest BSE risk materials, CMPAF from imported Canadian cull dairy cattle, and proposes innovative approaches to assess CMPAF handling in non-FDA regulated firms. WSDA describes economic, cultural and environmental drivers that encourage increased use of agricultural and food processing waste as animal feed and proposes inspection, sampling and educational activities to address feed and fomite disease transmission potential. WSDA responds to curriculum gaps expressed by Washington State Agricultural Educators, and confirmed by resource searches, by proposing the development of ready-to-use feed safety/BSE instruction modules that meet public instruction Essential Academic Learning Requirements in the areas of science and mathematics. One WSDA staff has a BS in Agriculture with an Agriscience and Education option. She is experienced and qualified to develop these instruction modules. WSDA submits signed letters of collaboration from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Seattle King County Public Health and the Washington Association of Agricultural Educators. WSDA provides detailed information describing inspections, sampling, laboratory equipment and proficiencies, staff training, staff experience and qualifications, inventory lists of firms available for inspection, and, interactions with FDA. Sustainable work plans, infrastructure improvements, staffing levels and all other areas required to be addressed in the Funding Opportunity Announcement are described and supported by budget tables and narratives.</p>