Future Tasks Proposed for the Dairy Food Safety Lab that Promote ON-FARM FOOD SAFETY
Issues concerning food safety will continue to impact the dairy industry during the next decade. As we've already experienced, once a foodborne or waterborne illness has been recognized, the investigating officials inevitably go back to the farm in an effort to pinpoint the "cause of the problem". Therefore, a prudent view for the survival of the dairy producer may hinge upon being able to manage the dairy production unit on a daily basis for animal health and well-bieing, public health, and environmental health.
New Technologies
The Dairy Food Safety Laboratory will collaborate on developing new technologies for practical application in solving both old and new problems. These efforts will employ Pulsed Laser technics, traditional and non-traditional microwave technologies and some older methods brought to bear in new ways for current problems. The DFSL will see practical application of these technologies in killing bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects (adult, larva, eggs) in milk, milk products, waste water, solid waste, soil, feed and other areas of concern. These will also be employed in making new vaccines and solving problems associated with nitrates and phosphorous in animal waste.
New Vaccines
The DFSL will focus on new generations of vaccines that feature the development of new delivery systems with the ability to give one injection and have the subsequent doses delivered without multiple injections.
E. coli vaccines
Staphylococcus aureus vaccines
Foot wart vaccines
Critical Control Point Management
The development of practical on-farm management strategies necessary to reduce or eliminate food safety concerns as well as improve the economic returns in producing milk and meat for consumers. This system is a modification of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points that have been successful in the food-manufacturing industry for years.
Biosecurity
The economic bottom line of the dairy is adversely impacted by the effects of disease on the cow and calf. Methods have been developed by the poultry and swine industries over the past 20 years regarding improving profits by implementing biosecurity to prevent or eliminate certain diseases. Therefore, new strategies of disease prevention with the three cornerstones of isolation, controlled movement, and sanitation will be developed for application on the dairy.
Improved Dianostic Tests
There will be a continued effort to provide improved diagnostic assays for chemical and microbial residues with minimal problems of false-positive and false-negative test outcomes.
Improved Records
Good record-keeping is essential for good management. The DFSL will collaborate on ways to improve animal identification, medical records, and economic analuysis of data.
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