OAHN Bovine Project: Evaluation of sous vide as a method for colostrum pasteurization (in progress)

Project Lead: Dr. Kristen Edwards

Collaborators: 

Project Proposal

Salmonella Dublin is an emerging pathogen in calves, associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pasteurization of colostrum has been shown to effectively reduce bacteria counts and limit the spread of pathogens. However, the high cost of commercial pasteurization units may discourage adoption on farms. Sous vide is a cost-effective method of cooking food in a temperature-controlled water bath and may provide an alternative method for colostrum pasteurization. To date, there have been no studies evaluating the sous vide as a method to pasteurize colostrum. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a sous vide to reduce total bacterial count as well as Salmonella Dublin count, while preserving total IgG concentrations.

Given the rapid spread of Salmonella Dublin in the dairy and veal industries, the bovine Ontario Animal Health Network is the right organization to lead a first exploration into accessible methods to reduce the spread of the disease. The project also has cross-sectional benefits for piloting a method that could be useful for prevention of other diseases through heat treatment of colostrum including Paratuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis), Salmonellosis (caused by other Salmonella spp), Colibacillosis, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Coordination with Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd. (described in the methods below) will leverage costs for colostrum sourcing and IgG analysis. Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd. will provide whole bovine colostrum samples of varying bacterial counts as well as radioimmunodiffusion (RID) of pre- and post-heat treated colostrum samples for IgG quantification.  Results of the proposed project will be available to epidemiologists and researchers to determine if application for further funding from a broader number of agencies is warranted in the future.