Abstract
Surveys have shown that about a quarter of UK pigs are carrying Salmonella at slaughter. In advance of the introduction of official controls, the British pig industry is working pro-actively on reducing Salmonella infection in pigs. A national meeting on Salmonella control in pigs was held to help share knowledge on this issue. The purpose of this meeting was to set the scene for forthcoming legislative requirements to control Salmonella in pigs, disseminate current knowledge and discuss potential interventions and the impacts and difficulties associated with these. The abattoir and processing interventions of minimising carcase contamination, reducing cross-contamination and application of carcase decontamination methods were considered to be the most readily applied interventions and among the most effective. Minimising carcase contamination during slaughter was considered likely to have the greatest impact on public health, followed by carcase decontamination and consumer education. This meeting provided an insight on the opinions of experts and stakeholders across the pig meat supply chain on the control of Salmonella in pigs. This information will aid understanding of the difficulties likely to be faced when applying remedial measures, and will guide the planning and implementation of a future National Control Plan for Salmonella in pigs.