Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited (CP Foods), a leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate in Thailand, has proactively implemented the Compartment Scheme to safeguard its poultry production. This innovative strategy assures that CP Foods' poultry operations are free from avian influenza (AI) and Newcastle disease (ND), two major diseases that threaten global poultry health.
This initiative underscores CP Foods' commitment to food safety and public health, ensuring its poultry products are devoid of AI and ND. The company's efforts not only facilitate the rapid control and eradication of these viruses but also highlight the importance of food safety for both raw and cooked products.
Dr. Nion Boonprasert, DVM, Head of Avian Veterinary Service & Animal Health Diagnostic Center at CP Foods, reiterates the company's firm commitment to food quality and safety across the supply chain. This commitment is contributed by extensive disease prevention and monitoring strategies. This effort comprises of the selection of safe raw materials for animal feed to comprehensive management of poultry farms, including breeders, hatcheries, broilers, and processing facilities, to ensure contamination-free poultry production.
Adopting Space Safety Regulations and Standards, CP Foods aligns with NASA's food safety protocols for astronauts, demonstrating the safety and chemical-free quality of their chicken meat. This reflects CP Foods' innovation and leadership in sustainable food production.
The Compartment system is a proactive defense, maintaining a closed-farm environment with strict biosafety and disease surveillance standards. It encompasses measures to minimize avian influenza risks and continuous health monitoring by veterinary specialists, ensuring both animal and consumer health through regular pathogen testing, including for bird flu, salmonella, and the Newcastle virus.
CP Foods' comprehensive implementation of the compartment system across its poultry farms raises Thai poultry standards through knowledge transfer, contract farming, and standardized disease prevention measures. This not only enhances farm yields and income stability for farmers but also bolsters the resilience of the Thai poultry industry and economy against poultry-related outbreaks.
The disease control strategy of the compartment system is founded on four pillars: rigorous biosecurity measures, proactive bird flu surveillance, specific disease control within farms and surrounding areas, and a traceability system to monitor the food chain.
Moreover, CP Foods employs advanced closed house facilities with an evaporative cooling system and leverages AI and IoT for 24/7 animal health monitoring. This strategy significantly reduces disease risk through minimal human contact.
Dr. Ni-on offers advice to consumers on safety and hygiene practices, such as avoiding sick or dying poultry for cooking, selecting certified food sources, cooking at temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius, and using separate kitchen tools for raw and cooked foods. Farm workers are also encouraged to steer clear of sick poultry and to practice thorough handwashing after contact.