Will the “bird flu” affect the U.S. poultry industry?
The so-called “bird flu” or highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza circulating in Southeast Asia and Europe is not currently affecting the U.S. poultry and egg industry as many in the media and consumer markets first speculated in mid-September. According to Dr. Elizabeth Krushinskie, vice president of food safety and production programs at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, “The likelihood of the Asian H5N1 becoming a significant problem for the U.S. commercial poultry industry is slim to none due to a series of firewalls already in place. The U.S. poultry industry exemplifies the advantages of modern integrated agricultural production systems whereby nearly all birds raised for a particular processing plant are grown within a limited geographical area,…
