Cost-effectiveness of Salmonella reduction in Danish abattoirs

The objective of this paper is to compare the cost-effectiveness of four decontamination technologies at the pork abattoirs. The four technologies investigated are hot water, steam ultrasound, steam vacuum and lactic acid. In the analysis, the prevalence of Salmonella and the effects of the decontaminating technologies are stochastic with known distributions and they are expected to be implemented without distortion of the existing processing system. Cost data are collected from the Danish Meat Research Institute, suppliers of decontamination technology, abattoirs using the technology as well as the literature. The risk data are based on Danish surveillance data, research projects investigating the effects of different decontamination measures and the literature. Implemented on a full scale in abattoirs, the results suggest that the technologies might reduce Salmonella from the present level of 2.2% to between 0.18 and 0.89%. Among the technologies investigated, steam ultrasound showed to be the most cost-effective method followed by hot water decontamination.