The TAFS Assessment of Paratuberculosis in the Food Chain

The TAFS forum has today published its "Assessment of Paratuberculosis in the Food Chain" presentation, as a Youtube-Video and pdf for download.

The assessment is the product of extensive consensus building among our members.
It concludes that

• Several reasons warrant enhanced efforts to control paratuberculosis, including animal health, welfare, economics and trade.
• The best option to control paratuberculosis in animals is control on farm.
• Reducing exposure of humans to MAP should not be seen as the ultimate reason to control paratuberculosis in animals, but as an additional benefit without harm.
• Current scientific evidence on the human health aspect of paratuberculosis is unclear and implications are discussed controversially. Future science may or may not remove that uncertainty in either direction.

The assessment will be the basis for future refined recommendations for all stakeholders along the food chain how to address the problem.