SideRoads, Fall 2019

AFIA Update Shippers are you Preparing for ASF www walinga com Fall 2019 15 D id you know that if you ship ingredients to or from animal feed manufacturing facilities that your trucks tires your drivers shoes and the fl oor of the load out bay could be one of the most likely breaches in biosecurity and a potential pathway to spreading animal diseases Given the recent African swine fever ASF outbreaks across parts of Asia and Europe the U S feed and swine industries have been working together to better understand the risks of this virus spreading to domestic pig populations and are taking action now to guard the country from this deadly disease Earlier this year the American Feed Industry Association AFIA updated its biosecurity guidelines providing specifi c recommendations for feed and ingredient manufacturers on how they can set up onsite biosecurity programs verify and work with their suppliers and train on and communicate best practices to facility personnel and visitors Although feed may not be how ASF gets to the United States it could be how its spread said Leah Wilkinson AFIAs vice president of public policy and education Its important that we take action now to improve our biosecurity practices onsite and this includes working with all involved in the shipment of fi nished feed or ingredients The AFIA biosecurity guidelines provide a sample checklist for shippers to enhance their biosecurity measures against all foreign animal diseases including but not limited to Maintaining and ensuring suppliers understand ingredient specifi cations and biosecurity requirements for feed or ingredients Inspecting seals and ingredients on shipment vessels to ensure they have not been tampered with or broken Securing truck trailers both bagged and bulk once loaded Establishing and maintaining a disease status log for livestock production locations where feed or ingredients are delivered Establishing a protocol for unloading feed or ingredients including defi ning appropriate cleaning procedures for delivery trucks and drivers footwear to reduce the transfer of pathogens to other sites or feed manufacturing facilities Establishing a hierarchy for feed delivery locations based on the disease status of the location and the production facilitys biosecurity levels Prohibiting bulk totes from being reused or establishing protocols so that they will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized prior to reuse Quarantining all products returned to the manufacturing facility and assessing the potential risks prior to reentry into the facility Instilling a sense of biosecurity awareness in all employees and plant visitors Dont be caught off guard Shippers are encouraged to download this free resource at AFIAs website at afi a org BiosecurityGuidance to see how they can take action now against ASF and other foreign animal diseases For questions contact Paul Davis Ph D AFIAs director of quality animal food at Pdavis@ afi a org