Salmonella baseline survey to support market access

AMPC-MLA routinely conducts salmonella baseline surveys every few years under the joint food safety program to support market access and salmonella testing programs. While this program has ended, the need for the survey continues. National baseline surveys provide an important source of data that can be used by industry to demonstrate the high food safety standards of Australian red meat products. Past surveys have generated data on the prevalence of pathogens on/in specific sample types (mostly carcases or faeces) to estimate risk. However, new risk management approaches demand a more comprehensive and targeted approach, one that considers the prevalence and concentration, and the probability of pathogens occurring in different product types and the end use of these product types (cooked, partially cooked, etc). In addition, virulence markers and perceived disease potential and health impacts of strains have been considered in recently proposed risk management plans, which require more detailed genetic analysis and characterisation of pathogens, to assess anti-microbial resistance potential.