THE ZAP Salmonella Programme is moving forward with its aim of reducing the prevalence of Salmonella in British pigs.

The Programme has made some progress in reducing levels but in order to meet targets for reducing the level of food safety risk the programme will be changing gears in 2006.

BPEX has taken the recommendation of the ZAP Salmonella Programme Steering Group that there should be a change in the basis on which holdings should be assigned to ZAP Levels 1, 2 and 3.

The Steering Group recommended the basis on which holdings are assigned should be changed to:

• ZAP Level 3: 75% or more of meat-juice samples tested for Salmonella are positive.
  
  
• ZAP Level 2: Equal to or more than 50% but less than 75% of samples tested are positive.
  
  
• ZAP Level 1: Less than 50% of samples tested are positive.

All holdings in ZAP Levels 2 and 3 will now have to develop and implement an appropriate action plan to control Salmonella within six months.

If the action plan and its implementation is approved at a veterinary inspection and independent microbiological testing has been undertaken, holdings can apply for an extension to be allowed to remain in ZAP Level 2 or higher for 16 months and in ZAP Level 3 for 10 months.

Testing will continue to be offered free by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, funded by Defra.

The target for a 25% reduction over the first three years has been achieved in Scotland where the level of meat-juice positives is now almost 4 times lower than in English herds.

Reducing the level of Salmonella remains one of the key BPEX targets and it will continue to provide advice and to support research to help producers make progress.

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