Important elements of the HACCP process to control Johne's disease, bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV, and bovine leukaemia virus (BLV)

The hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) programme was developed to address food safety issues and has been mandatory in all cattle harvest plants since January 2000. HACCP process control procedures provide a systematic approach to the identification and control of a variety of biological, physical and chemical hazards within a food production system. In addition, the seven steps of HACCP offer a proven systematic approach that addresses biological problems. This approach can be adapted to on-farm production problems of a non-food safety nature. The risk a disease poses to a production unit is assessed, critical control points (CCP) for a specific disease are identified, these risk factors are addressed and best management practices are applied to reduce or eliminate disease risk. Limits are established for each disease, monitoring procedures are applied to each CCP, and corrective action is applied when disease level surpasses the set limit. Thus, a record system is created that documents the plan, and verification procedures are established to ensure the plan is working. Together, practitioners and producers can use this method to systematically address specific production problems related to disease control. This paper describes how HACCP might be used to address bovine viral diarrhoea persistent infection (BVD PI), bovine leukosis [leukaemia] virus (BLV) and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Johne's disease) and to prevent introduction or systematically reduce or eliminate the impact of these diseases on the production unit.