A colorized scanning electron micrograph (SEM) showing two Gram-negative bacilli, or rod-shaped Salmonella sp bacteria. Salmonella infection is rarely fatal, but in extreme cases, can cause death unless the patient is treated with antibiotics
The European Food Safety Authority(EFSA) has identified Salmonella as an important contaminant of animal feed. 
Photo: CDC Public Image Library
An evaluation by the authority's Biological Hazards Panel found that feed contaminated with the bacterium was a source of infection for food-producing animals and products derived from them.
Although the serovars that most commonly cause disease in humans are seldom found in feed, some types of Salmonella that occur in feed are also found in humans, it says.
Panel chair Dan Collins said: "Animal feed can be a source of several types of Salmonella. Eliminating Salmonella in animal feed even before it gets to the farm will make a contribution to reducing Salmonella in our food."
The panel evaluated industrially produced feed, as this type of feed is most at risk from Salmonella contamination. Oilseed meal and animal proteins were found to be the feed materials most likely to introduce the bacteria into finished feed products. Although industrially made feed is usually heat-treated to kill bacteria, it can become recontaminated later in the production process. Heat treating is generally considered the most effective way of dealing with Salmonella contamination, but chemical treatment may offer an alternative. The panel has called for more research on the efficacy of this method of combating Salmonella.
The panel recommended carrying out a baseline survey on testing for Salmonella in feed to ensure that data can be compared among EU member states, and to inform policy making on the control of the bacteria. It called for the implementation of good manufacturing and hygiene practices throughout the feed chain, and pointed out that safety criteria based only on testing the end product would not be effective. Rather, testing should occur at several points along the feed production chain.
The panel also recommended the introduction of a standard method for monitoring Salmonella in feed throughout the EU.
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