PATHOGEN REDUCTION OPTIONS IN SLAUGHTERHOUSES AND METHODS FOR EVALUATING THEIR ECONOMIC EFFECTIVENESS

Foodborne pathogens cause millions of human illnesses annually, many resulting in death or chronic illnesses. Universal methods to evaluate microbial risks and their associated costs have yet to be developed. Typically, risk analysis and economic analysis have been carried out independently. In this paper, we link a risk analysis model based on typical slaughterhouse practices with a decision model to evaluate the cost effectiveness of various combinations of pathogen reducing technologies. We describe technological change with regard to pathogen reduction in meat and compare the use, effectiveness, and the degree to which different control technologies have penetrated the market. We follow with the description of a cost-effectiveness framework for evaluating technology adoption and provide an illustration for generic E. coli. In particular, we show that some options appear in every combination of technologies that are not inferior in both the cost dimension and effectiveness, and should be preferred. The paper concludes with a discussion of the institutional (and other) barriers affecting the adoption and development of more effective technologies for pathogen reduction.