Fur animal botulism hazard due to feed.
To assess the botulism hazard in fur animal feed production, 236 fur animal feed components and feed samples were analysed for Clostridium botulinum by detecting BoNT-encoding genes (botA, botB, botC, botE or botF) by PCR and for sulphite-reducing clostridia (SRC) by iron sulphite agar. The quality of the hazard analysis of critical control points (HACCP) -based in-house control system (IHCS) was evaluated with respect to botulism risk in feed plants (n=32). The overall prevalence of C. botulinum was 13% in different feed components and 5% in feed. The estimated MPN count of C. botulinum in feed components was 6.4 × 10(3)/kg at the highest and was shown to poorly correlate with SRC count. The critical control points in IHCSs were variable, and control limits were improperly set in most feed-producing plants. C. botulinum possesses a persistent safety hazard for fur animals by feed production, and control practices should be reassessed.
Myllykoski
J
J
Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. jan.myllykoski@helsinki.fi
Lindström
M
M
Bekema
E
E
Pölönen
I
I
Korkeala
H
H
D000003:Abattoirs / Q000592:standards; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D001906:Botulism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003014:Clostridium botulinum / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005387:Finland; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary