title: Analysis of the relationship between economic measures and Salmonella testing results in young chicken slaughter establishments.
abstract: Food processing establishments incur costs to install, maintain, and operate equipment and implement specific food safety practices. During times of economic recession, establishments might reduce their food safety efforts to conserve resources and reduce costs of operation. This study  was conducted to determine whether financial performance measures are systematically associated with Salmonella test results. The association between Salmonella test results from 182 federally inspected young chicken slaughter establishments from 2007 to 2009 and financial performance  was examined while controlling for other establishment characteristics. Results indicated that the smallest establishments, which slaughtered fewer than 0.2 million chickens per year, had three times as many positive test results as did the largest establishments, which slaughtered more than  86.0 million chickens per year (P < 0.01). Establishments that slaughtered more than 0.2 million but fewer than 18.5 million chickens had 1.5 times as many positive test results (P = 0.02). Two statistically significant financial performance measures were identified, but the  effects were limited. Establishments in bankruptcy had 1.4 times as many positive test results as did those not in bankruptcy (P = 0.02); however, only five establishments were in bankruptcy. Establishments with better payment performance generally had better Salmonella test  results, but the effect was significant only in the winter season.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. muth@rti.org
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Muth
authors.forename: Darryl V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Creel
authors.forename: Shawn A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Karns
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkus
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D002017:Budgets; D002645:Chickens / Q000382:microbiology*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005511:Food Handling / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D059022:Food Safety; D006801:Humans; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*