Pork producers' cost estimates of on-farm Salmonella testing
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Abstract
As foodborne diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 are increasingly publicized and new technologies become available to monitor and control these bacteria, consumers are demanding more food safety assurances, not only during slaughter, processing, and preparation, but also at the farm level where production occurs. Pork producers in Kansas and Indiana were surveyed to determine their attitudes regarding onfarm Salmonella testing and to provide estimates of the costs of collecting hide, fecal, or blood samples from live pigs. Veterinarians and the Cooperative Extension Service were most frequently cited as the most preferred source for monitoring and verification. Results of the survey indicate that pork producers may be willing to conduct on-farm Salmonella testing if they can recover the costs of sample collection. The costs ranged from $1.48 to $4.72 per pig, depending on the method of sample collection.