Development of a Risk Register for the Pig and Poultry Meat Sectors on the island of Ireland

• Project start date: 1 August 2013
• Project status: Completed
• Project type: Food safety
• Discipline: Microbiology and food hygiene
• Author/s: Prof Chris Elliott, Queen’s University Belfast
• Collaborator/s: Dr Martin Danaher, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ashtown, Dublin, Prof Francis Butler, University College Dublin

Research objective

The pork and poultry industries on the island of Ireland are major employers and export large quantities of product. The quality and safety of these products is of paramount importance. Due to the complexity of the supply chains in both industries, there is always the risk of chemical or microbiological contamination, and while some risks are already known, there is always a possibility of an unanticipated contamination occurring which may result in financial and reputational losses due to the integrated nature of the industries.

This research sought to develop a Risk Register that would facilitate the development of a risk ranking framework for both chemical and microbiological hazards in poultry and pork production.

Seven poultry and pork industries on the island of Ireland participated in the project. A risk prioritisation exercise was carried out for both commodities which identified the most important chemical residues for each sector. Similarly, the risk of pathogens in poultry meat was ranked and as expected, Campylobacter spp. emerged as the pathogen of most concern. Testing priorities for each commodity were ranked based on EU Rapid Alerts System (RASFF) data. The risk from different food ingredients in pork and poultry products was also investigated. An accurate picture of the contaminants that are most likely to be associated with these ingredients, their origin, and the risk of this contamination entering the food supply chain, can now be assessed. Approaches were also proposed for compositing of samples to allow industry to reduce residue testing costs.

Outputs

Research report

• Title: Food Hazard Alert
• Publication date: 4 June 2016
• Summary: Development of a pilot risk register for the pig and poultry meat sectors on the island of Ireland. A technology viability study.
• Findings:

  This project created a risk identification and management system for products of pig and poultry origin produced on the island of Ireland.

  The approach taken was to identify the hazards associated with particular raw materials/food ingredients, examine the frequency of the alerts and to calculate the associated risk by applying a food hazard score based upon a safety assessment of the hazard.

  The resultant ranking system enables these industries to make informed decisions on the testing priorities for specific ingredients, thus reducing the risks to both businesses and consumers alike.

   

• Recommendations:

  To protect the pork and poultry producers and processors on the island of Ireland, it is imperative that the Food Hazard Alert database is implemented throughout the industry and is maintained in the long term.

  You can download the report below.

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