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Salmonella spp. prevails as the main cause of raw meat foodborne illnesses. Implementation of food safety management systems such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points in swine abattoirs can help to mitigate pathogen exposure. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the impact of the HACCP system in slaughterhouses in Colombia on reducing Salmonella spp. exposure due to the consumption of fresh pork meat. Two slaughtering plants with a different degree of HACCP implementation were selected and a quantitative microbiological mapping was built by collecting 820 samples of Salmonella spp. enumeration at different processing stages. The overall Salmonella spp. mean concentration was 1.15 ± 0.55 log MPN/g, with no significant differences among plants (P > 0.05). Deficiencies during carcass disinfection and temperature during distribution of meat cuts from the slaughterhouse lacking of HACCP resulted in a significant increase of Salmonella spp. prevalence (20-40%) (P < 0.05). Processing stages with the highest pathogen prevalence were transport (28-32%) and hanging (16-36%). The exposure assessment model estimated a higher degree of pathogen contamination at the time of consumption in meat cuts from the slaughterhouse without HACCP (3.36 versus 3.68 log MPN/g) and 10-fold increase in the probability a consumer would acquire a contaminated portion (0.011 versus 0.105). Implementation of the HACCP system in swine slaughterhouses represents tangible Salmonella spp. reduction control and public health protection measures.

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El principal objetivo de este trabajo es brindar las bases para un esfuerzo coordinado con el fin de crear capacidad de análisis de riesgos para la inocuidad de los alimentos en la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC) reuniendo a organizaciones internacionales (Organización Panamericana de la Salud-OPS, Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura -FAO e Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura-IICA) y universidades (Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln, Universidad de Maryland, Universidad de Minnesota y Universidad Tecnológica de Texas) mediante la Alianza Estratégica para la Creación de Capacidades en Análisis de Riesgos para la Inocuidad de los Alimentos (AECAR). Esperamos que este trabajo, creado por la alianza, logre: a) generar confianza y fortalecer la comunicación entre todas las organizaciones que trabajan en la región; b) proporcionar las bases para enfoques coordinados, consistentes y efectivos para crear capacidad y desarrollar programas de estudio; y c) facilitar la implementación del marco para análisis de riesgos en la región. Este trabajo presenta los recursos actuales de los autores, considera algunos ejemplos exitosos de implementación de análisis de riesgos en la región (de los sectores académicos y gubernamentales), los desafíos experimentados al implementar el análisis de riesgos, y una hoja de ruta para la creación de capacidad propuesta por esta alianza para ampliar la adopción de análisis de riesgos en la región.

The main goal of this paper is to provide the foundation for a coordinated effort for food safety risk analysis capacity building in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region by bringing together international organizations (Panamerican Health Organization-PAHO, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-FAO and the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture-IICA) and universities (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Maryland, University of Minnesota and Texas Tech University) through the Strategic Alliance in Risk Analysis Capacity Building (SARAC). We expect that this paper, authored by the alliance, will: a) build trust and strengthen communication among all the organizations that work in the region; b) provide the foundation for coordinated, consistent, and effective approaches to capacity building and curriculum development; and c) facilitate the implementation of the risk analysis framework within the region. This paper provides the current resources by the authors, discusses some successful examples of risk analysis implementation in the region (from academia and government sectors), the challenges experienced on implementing risk analysis and a capacity building roadmap proposed by this alliance to enhance the adoption of risk analysis in the region.

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Risk analysis is increasingly promoted as a tool to support science-based decisions regarding food safety. An online survey comprising 45 questions was used to gather information on the implementation of food safety risk analysis within the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Professionals working in food safety in academia, government, and private sectors in Latin American and Caribbean countries were contacted by email and surveyed to assess their individual knowledge of risk analysis and perceptions of its implementation in the region. From a total of 279 participants, 97% reported a familiarity with risk analysis concepts; however, fewer than 25% were able to correctly identify its key principles. The reported implementation of risk analysis among the different professional sectors was relatively low (46%). Participants from industries in countries with a long history of trade with the United States and the European Union, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Chile, reported perceptions of a higher degree of risk analysis implementation (56, 50, and 20%, respectively) than those from the rest of the countries, suggesting that commerce may be a driver for achieving higher food safety standards. Disagreement among respondents on the extent of the use of risk analysis in national food safety regulations was common, illustrating a systematic lack of understanding of the current regulatory status of the country. The results of this survey can be used to target further risk analysis training on selected sectors and countries.

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