SideRoads, Fall 2019

IFEEDER Update Holding Times R esearch has shown that some foreign animal diseases are able to survive simulated transboundary shipments in inoculated feed and feed ingredients With the recent African swine fever ASF outbreaks in parts of Asia and Europe the U S feed and swine industries have partnered to better understand how holding times can be used as an effective risk mitigation tool for decreasing the chances of viruses surviving in feed In May the Swine Health Information Center National Pork Board National Pork Producers Council NPPC and American Association of Swine Veterinarians released a revised fact sheet for feed holding times based on new information about how certain diseases can potentially spread via imported feed ingredients The research was made possible in part due to funding from the Institute for Feed Education and Research the public charity of the American Feed Industry Association AFIA Among other things the updated research decreased holding times over the original suggestions which were 78 days for packaged products and 286 days for bulk products and provided holding times at three temperature options 16 Fall 2019 www walinga com Continued diligence on feedstuffs origin the manufacturing processes the shipping methods and born on date is essential said NPPCs chief veterinarian Liz Wagstrom Feedstuffs manufactured sealed handled and shipped under biosecure conditions produces an ingredient free of pathogens and reduces the risk of post processing resulting to little or no risk to animal health This new fact sheet which can be found at pork org provides the most current understanding of viral survivability in feedstuffs and an option for mitigating the risks to domestic herds via specifi c holding times for imported ingredients What does this Mean for Shippers Although there is no guarantee against the spread of ASF the feed industry believes that holding imported feed ingredients from countries where foreign animal diseases are present could be a useful tool in the event of the virus crossing into North America Some manufacturers have voluntarily begun using holding times and AFIA applauds that mitigation strategy A USEFUL TOOL for mitigating the spread of ASF