ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2023 25 The milling and live production processes can create ideal environments for Salmonella to thrive. Feed milling generates heat and moisture that promote Salmonella growth. Additionally, Salmonella can colonize feed mill machinery, trucks, and other areas associated with feed production, which can lead to contamination of feed. This can result in repeated exposure of farms and flocks to Salmonella through contaminated feed. Studies have shown that Salmonella prevalence is highest at ingredient receiving, decreases after passing through the pellet mill, but increases again before reaching the point of consumption. A recent literature review has shown that feed accounts for 4.8% of the occurrence of Salmonella in poultry production systems (Wang et al, 2023). This is particularly concerning because feed has a unique ability to introduce pathogens into the gastrointestinal tracts of animals, which then increases the prevalence of the bacteria in feces and litter, ultimately leading to more horizontal transmission within the breeding and grow-out facilities, a concept not broadly explored at this point. Although most mills have protocols to prevent the introduction of Salmonella to feed production, these protocols can lead to reduced productivity, additional downtime and costs due to decontamination procedures, and damage to reputation and contracts. Controlling Salmonella in live production is best accomplished by mitigating its entry in the system. Feed sanitization involves using bactericidal compounds to reduce microbial contamination and provide long-term pathogen control. Studies have shown that Termin-8®, a formaldehyde-based feed sanitizer, is effective at reducing Salmonella contamination in feed and preventing recontamination. More recently, a formaldehyde-free feed sanitizer, Finio®, was found to control Salmonella more effectively than organic acid blends. To safeguard your feed from being contaminated by Salmonella, it is crucial to understand the microbial load at various stages of feed production, including before and after production. While Salmonella is a primary concern pertaining to food safety, evaluating the overall microbial profile can be a better indicator of feed quality and safety. Effective feed pathogen control can help to strengthen biosecurity, protect the entire food chain and improve poultry performance. Product (A to D) and concentration (kg per metric tonne) Untreated A (0.5) A (1.0) A (1.5) A (2.0) A (2.5) B (3.0) B (6.0) C (3.0) C (6.0) D (3.0) * * * * * * * D (6.0) Mean log count (CFU per gram) Figure 1. Finio®, Anitox Feed Sanitizer depicted as product A, shows a clear dose-response achieving 98.5% Salmonella reduction at 2.5 kg/MT. (Source: Gosling et. al., 2021)
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