Purpose: Develop a cloud-based technical platform for producers to collect, integrate, and analyze food safety and operational data, providing early indicators and predictive analytics associated with food safety pathogen emergence in the supply chain.
Methods: A technical platform is being developed to integrate, visualize, and analyze the company’s national-level pathogen testing data; collection was for Salmonella in 2014–2015.
Results: Data was initially identified for 12,971 flocks, with the ability to trace production from breeder to broiler stage for only 17% of flocks. Less than 2% of flocks with Salmonella tests were traceable to Salmonella rehang tests in those same flocks at processing. Further investigation increased traceability to 22,471 flocks, with 100% flock traceability from pullet through processing for company-owned flocks. Linked flock and Salmonella test traceability from broiler to rehang stages improved to 10% of flocks. Food safety performance could now be examined over time at the individual flock level, to include: ability to trace flocks with increased positive Salmonella tests throughout the production chain; identification and correction of sampling bias at processing; and validation of a new sampling technique with better performance than the standard USDA carcass postchill test, resulting in an estimated savings of $42,893 per plant over an 18-month period.
Significance: The platform aims to provide operational insights at the flock level, which allows food safety managers to make evidence-based decisions to establish food safety priorities and evaluate interventions.