Elanco: Dr. Alissa Welsher—Using Darkling Beetles as an Indicator for Pre-Harvest Salmonella Loads

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher about:

• How industry’s understanding of pest management’s role in food safety has evolved in recent years
• Why pests are often an overlooked source of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, and why darkling beetles, in particular, are important to consider as a possible contributor to Salmonella
• Insights on the darkling beetle, where darkling beetles are typically found, and how beetles can transmit disease
• The initiation and execution of a study that showed a correlation between beetle populations and Salmonella load in poultry flocks
• Current indicators of pre-harvest Salmonella load and how those indicators are managed, and why beetles can be a possible indicator of pre-harvest Salmonella load
• Actions producers can take to gain control of pest presence on farm
• How the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service' (USDA-FSIS') framework to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry may lead to producers prioritizing integrated pest management.

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