Secure Poultry Supply website provides valuable information

During a disease outbreak, USDA-ordered stopped movements can have consequences for uninfected farms near the outbreak. The Secure Poultry Supply (SPS) plan helps to avoid interruptions in the movement of animals or animal products during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The SPS focuses on premises with no evidence of infection and helps to assure there will be a continuous supply of safe and wholesome food to consumers. It also maintains business continuity for producers, transporters, and food processors through response planning.

Recently, the University of Minnesota launched the SPS website (securepoultrysupply.umn.edu). The SPS is a translation of the science in the Secure Egg (SES), Turkey (STS) and Broiler (SBS) Supply plans into a harmonized permitting approach. On the SPS website are permit guidances that contain strategies to limit the risk of poultry product movement, like biosecurity and testing, from farms without infection inside a Control Area. The permit guidances are specific to a product. When a poultry product is moved using the SPS, the permit guidance for that product spells out the criteria that must be met to meet the movement’s risk rating.

If that sounds complex, it is. But the new website helps everyone navigate the process. It is a valuable resource for producers, industry and agencies that focuses on how to move product during an HPAI outbreak. Individuals can find the permit guidance relevant to the poultry product movement of their company/farm by searching by product or species in a user-friendly way. The website can be viewed on computers, tablets, and cell phones with internet access.

Permitted movement occurs by a process and an overview of this process is summarized on the site. The SPS site also provides links to the individual Secure Supply websites, which contain the science behind Continuity of Business (COB) in risk assessments. Development of content is continual. Future plans for the SPS website include providing an overview of outreach available from the UMN team. Individuals are invited to contact the team to schedule an exercise to practice permitting and response plans.