Poultry News and Updates

INDIANA P-T TESTING REQUIREMENT TO BE REINSTATED STARTING APRIL 1, 2021

For the past two years, Indiana National Poultry Improvement Program (NPIP) Blood Testers experienced a shortage of Pullorum-Typhoid (P-T) antigen, which led the Indiana State Poultry Association (ISPA) to make the decision to waive the Salmonella pullorum and Salmonella typhoid (jointly referred to as P-T) testing requirement. With the exception of poultry coming into the state of Indiana from out of state, since March 1, 2020, poultry attending shows, exhibitions, county fairs, and the State Fair were not required to be tested for P-T.

Charles River, the company licensed to produce P-T Antigen, has increased their production of P-T antigen, and the ISPA has verified it is available for purchase through a number of retail poultry supply businesses. For this reason, the ISPA has decided to reinstate the P-T testing requirement for poultry in Indiana, effective April 1, 2021.

The Indiana P-T testing requirement states that ALL POULTRY shown at an Exhibition event, County Fair or the State Fair must have originated directly from an NPIP P-T certified clean flock within 1 (one) year prior to the date of the event or have had a negative P-T Test within 90 (ninety) days prior to the date of the event.

In 1981, Indiana became an official U.S. P-T Clean state. Your continued adherence to proper biosecurity practices will help keep Indiana P-T free. For a review of common biosecurity practices, please visit the USDA APHIS Defend the Flock Program website.

CLICK HERE to see a list of companies that sell P-T Antigen.

Paul & Linda Brennan Retire from the Indiana State Poultry Association

ISPA Names Rebecca Joniskan as New President

The Indiana State Poultry Association (ISPA) announces its first new President in 28 years – Rebecca Eifert Joniskan. Joniskan will succeed current President Paul Brennan, who will retire at the end of October.

Joniskan previously served in numerous leadership roles at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), most recently as Chief of the Permits Branch in the Office of Land Quality. She has been working alongside ISPA and outgoing President Paul Brennan on issues related to Indiana’s poultry industry for several years.

Joniskan said, “Since first being introduced to the ISPA while helping Indiana’s poultry industry prepare for a possible avian influenza incident, I have been impressed by the cooperative nature of its membership and the professional, thoughtful approach to decision making exhibited by its leadership. I am honored to have the opportunity to advance ISPA’s 145-year legacy of advocating for large- and small-scale poultry and egg operations throughout Indiana as they provide nutritional egg and poultry products to consumers nationwide.”

America’s Egg Farmers Make Historic Donation to Feed American Families in Need

Marking a historic moment, America's egg farmers across the nation are donating more than 46 million eggs in 2020, the largest amount ever recorded, as food banks experience unparalleled demand due to COVID-19. 

U.S. egg farmers have long supported families in need through egg and egg product donations, but these donations are even more important this year. Feeding America, one of the nation's largest networks of food banks, projects an additional 17.1 million people will experience food insecurity in the U.S., with an estimated $1.4 billion shortfall in food bank donations due to the pandemic. Egg farmers are responding by helping to meet the growing need at U.S. food banks.

Eggs are always in high demand at U.S. food banks because they are a popular source of high-quality protein and other important nutrients, like choline for brain health and development. However, the perishable nature of eggs can make donating them challenging. America's egg farmers are bridging this gap by donating directly from their farms.

For more information on this amazing donation CLICK HERE to read the full press release

Lt. Gov. Crouch awarded two farms highest agricultural honor

Garwood Orchards and MPS Egg Farms have been awarded the AgriVision Award, the highest agricultural honor from the State of Indiana. This award was presented at the Indiana Statehouse by Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler.

Now in it’s 14th year, the AgriVision Award is presented to businesses or organizations within the Hoosier agricultural community that are advancing the industry, whether that is by developing a new technology, working to address a worldwide issue or creating a better community.

MPS Egg Farms, one of the largest shell egg producers in the United States, is a sixth-generation family farm business based in North Manchester, Indiana.

The family business, run by Bob, Dan and Sam Krouse, has 630 employees who care for 11 million hens, which produce more than 9 million eggs daily at six farms in Indiana, Illinois and Texas. Each farm is equipped with top-of-the-line equipment and is certified by numerous third-party organizations for quality assurance, animal health and product safety standards.

MPS Egg Farms produces both conventional and cage-free eggs that are delivered to grocery stores and food distributors nationwide. MPS Egg Farms is a national poultry industry leader in the conversion to cage-free egg production, in response to client and consumer demand.

ISPA Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Maintaining Poultry and Meat Processing Operations

The Indiana State Poultry Association, released the following statement on President Trump’s Executive Order in support of continued operations of poultry and meat processing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: 

“We hope this order ensures that our producers have the guidance, policies, access to expedient testing, and personal protective equipment needed to ensure the safety of all involved. Through his Executive Order, President Trump is helping the nation’s poultry and egg producers achieve this national imperative to feed America’s families with the highest quality protein.” 

2017

Backyard Flock Salmonella Victims Triple, 1 Dead; More Expected 

Food Safety News - By Kelsey M. Mackin - August 22, 2017

So far this year, preschoolers account for a third of the 961 confirmed victims in a Salmonella outbreak that has turned deadly and been traced to backyard poultry flocks.

There had already been more confirmed infections related to backyard flocks by Aug. 11 this year than in all of 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency is actually tracking 10 separate Salmonella outbreaks traced to contact with backyard poultry pens.

The CDC’s investigators expect the outbreaks to continue to expand for the next several months, according to a public warning posted Monday. Lab tests have confirmed victims in Washington D.C. and all states, except Alaska and Delaware. The CDC did not report which state reported the death, which was made public for the first time Monday.

“Contact with live poultry or their environment can make people sick with Salmonella infections. Live poultry can be carrying Salmonella bacteria but appear healthy and clean, with no sign of illness,” according to the CDC  warning.

Illness from Salmonella usually lasts four to seven days. In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the person needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infections are more likely to be severe for children younger than 5 years, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, such as people with cancer, diabetes, and liver or kidney disease.

The following safety tips are advised by the CDC, to avoid a Salmonella infection from backyard poultry:

• Always wash hands with soap and running water for a minimum of 20 seconds after handling live poultry;

• Do not allow live chickens, ducks or geese in the house;

• Do not allow children younger than 5 years to handle or touch live poultry and eggs without supervision;

• Never snuggle or kiss the birds or touch your face or mouth and do not eat or drink while around live poultry.

More tips for how backyard flock owners can prevent infection can be found on the CDC website.

USDA Encourages the Use of Food Thermometers to be Food Safe this Summer

USDA FSIS - May 25, 2017

Summer is a time for family vacations, backyard barbeques and plenty of outdoor activities with food as the centerpiece. But before those steaks and burgers go on the grill, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) wants to remind consumers to keep their family and themselves safe from foodborne illness by using a food thermometer to ensure meat and poultry is cooked to the correct internal temperature.

“The best and only way to make sure bacteria have been killed and food is safe to eat is by cooking it to the correct internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer,” said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. “It is a simple step that can stop your family and guests from getting foodborne illness.”

Recent research by USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that only 34 percent of the public use a food thermometer when cooking hamburgers. If you don’t verify your burger’s internal temperature, pathogens may still be present. When eaten, those hamburgers can make your guests and your family sick.

In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 48 million people suffer from foodborne illness each year, resulting in roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

So how do you avoid becoming a part of those statistics? Follow USDA’s four easy steps to food safety this summer.

Clean: Make sure to always wash your hands and surfaces with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before cooking and after handling raw meat or poultry. If cooking outside or away from a kitchen, pack clean cloths and moist towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands.

Separate: When taking food off of the grill, use clean utensils and platters. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or poultry.

Cook: Always use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat and poultry. Place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food.

• Hamburgers, sausages and other ground meats should reach 160°F.

• All poultry should reach a minimum temperature of 165°F.

• Whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal, and of beef should be cooked to 145°F as measured by a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, and allowed to rest for three minutes before eating. A "rest time" is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven, or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens.

• Fish should be cooked to 145°F.

• Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns very fast on the outside, and by using a food thermometer you can be sure items have reached a safe minimum internal temperature needed to destroy any harmful bacteria that may be present.

Chill: Place leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Discard food that has been sitting out longer than two hours. 

Need more food safety information? Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (1-888-674-6854) Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, or email or chat at AskKaren.gov.

2016

Final Indiana Avian Influenza Quarantine Lifted; State Achieves Free Status

Indiana Board of Animal Health - May 2, 2016

The last remaining quarantine associated with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases identified in Dubois County, Ind. has officially been lifted by the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH). This quarantine release coincides with the state achieving avian influenza-free status, after logging 90 consecutive days with no new cases of the poultry disease.

On January 15, a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County was diagnosed with the H7N8 HPAI virus. Within 24 hours, another nine avian influenza-infected turkey farms were identified nearby through rapid surveillance testing. Those findings led to quarantines on all 10 farms, as well as the establishment of a 10-km (6.2-mile) radius Control Area that restricted movements of all poultry and poultry products onto and off of farms.

For 38 days, BOAH led the active response to eradicate the influenza virus from the area and assure safe and proper disposal of the birds. Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other state and local agencies assisted to prevent the situation from growing to levels seen in 2015 in the Upper Midwest, when a different HPAI strain caused the loss of 48 million birds on 223 farms. Indiana’s efforts focused on protecting the state’s $2.4 billion poultry industry that employs 14,000 Hoosiers.

Dubois County Poultry Control Area Released After Negative Tests

Indiana Board of Animal Health - February 22, 2016

The 6.2 mile control area associated with the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) incident in Dubois County, IN was lifted on Monday, February 22 by the Indiana State Veterinarian.  Poultry owners, commercial and residential, in the area may now resume normal operations and movements of birds and poultry products.

Highly Pathogenic H7N8 Avian Influenza Diagnosed in Indiana Poultry Flock

Indiana Board of Animal Health - January 15, 2016

 The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) has been notified by the US Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services Laboratory that poultry from a commercial turkey farm in Dubois County has tested positive for highly pathogenic H7N8 avian influenza. 

Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk; poultry and eggs are safe to eat.  The Centers for Disease Control considers the risk of illness to humans to be very low.

2015

Indiana State Poultry Association Donates Over 73 Tons to Indiana Food Banks

November 23, 2015

Lt. Governor Sue Ellsperman will join representatives of the Indiana State Poultry Association to celebrate the donation of over 73 tons (146,000 pounds) of poultry products to food banks across Indiana for distribution to hungry Hoosier families on Monday, November 23, 2015.  This donation of high protein meat and eggs is always appreciated by the food pantries that feed the hungry throughout the state. The current donation alone provides hundreds of thousands of highly nutritious meals to Hoosier families.

USDA and Alvin and the Chipmunks Team Up to Reduce Foodborne Illness

USDA Food Safety Education Staff - October 15, 2015

In an effort to educate children and their families about the importance of food safety, USDA and the Ad Council are joining 20th Century FOX to launch a series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring Alvin and the Chipmunks. The PSAs use footage from the upcoming film Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip to introduce viewers to four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill.