The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that salmonella is responsible for 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the United States each year.
A new platform launched by Antera looks to improve these numbers. The program offers a “BioBarrier” against salmonella through monitoring systems and data analysis for improved compliance in poultry productivity.
The platform, Ancera Salmonella System Monitoring, promises to deliver deeper and more timely insights into Salmonella throughout the poultry supply chain. Utilizing its extensive network of mobile surveillance systems, CRISPR databases, epidemiological models and software warning systems, Ancera helps the US poultry industry reduce risk and improve margins.
“As the animal protein industry faces increasing financial and regulatory pressures, Ancera enables the poultry industry to reduce threats and increase margins through better intelligence,” said Arjun Ganesan, CEO of Ancera. “This is about more than improving brand equity – our technology and approach to commercializing this information is transformational for the industry. Our beta customers are already doing more to understand and de-risk their supply chains than any other company in the history of poultry production. This technology fundamentally streamlines the productivity and efficiency of the supply chain.”
The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service recently launched an initiative known as the Salmonella Grand Challenge to better understand how and where Salmonella causes high risk in meat and poultry products, with a goal of reducing the number of people infected with Salmonella by 25 percent before 2030.
With 2,500 salmonella serotypes, sophisticated technology and systems are key to identifying systemic risks and ensuring effective and efficient control strategies.
Antera’s platform is built on basic diagnostic CRISPR-SeroSeq technology developed by Dr. Nikki Shariat and researchers from the University of Georgia’s Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Ancera is already monitoring farms and reporting trends back to customers – the first customers are currently focused on improving their USDA FSIS Salmonella categories, tracking serotypes of human health concern from grower flocks to broilers, and improving plant yields through strategic use of interventions. By providing this “BioBarrier” against Salmonella, Ancera provides access to the first data-driven intelligence platform so users can take immediate action, increase profitability and create a healthier supply chain.
The launch of the Ancera Salmonella System Monitoring follows the launch of the Ancera Coccidia System Monitoring, which has tracked over 100 million broilers to date to improve feed utilization and control program costs. As the company continues to expand its existing Salmonella and Coccidia monitoring technology to additional customers, it is building a suite of production optimization software tools based on customer demand.
“Related: The CDC says stop broiling your chicken to avoid salmonella