The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is testing swine feed to determine a possible link to the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv).
CFIA said that on Feb. 9 Grand Valley Fortifiers, a Cambridge, Ontario-based supplier of animal nutrition products, voluntarily recalled some of its pelleted swine nursery feed products after several of its customers were affected by the virus. The pellets contain swine plasma that originated in the United States.
Tests confirmed the presence of PEDv in samples of plasma obtained by a third-party manufacturer for the company. The plasma was used as a feed ingredient in feed pellets produced by Grand Valley Fortifiers. Tests did not prove transmission of the virus occurred through the feed, but the company issued the recall anyway.
“Further testing will be done to assess if the feed pellets are capable of causing disease in piglets, and results are expected within days,” CFIA said in a statement on the agency's website. “Testing will continue to confirm a direct link between the feed and the spread of the disease, as the virus is only confirmed in a single ingredient at this time.
“The CFIA is working closely with the company to confirm the effectiveness of the recall, and is closely examining company records to see where potentially affected product was distributed.”
“We are doing everything we can to work with the government authorities to conclusively determine if our pelleted nursery feeds have been contaminated and unfortunately transmitted the virus to our valued farm partners,” the company said in a statement. “Specifically CFIA is engaged in bio-assay analysis in their Winnipeg laboratory where both the pelleted nursery feeds and the blood plasma ingredient are being fed to piglets to see whether they become infected with PED virus.”
Furthermore, CFIA is reviewing records of other imports of swine plasma. Additional recalls may be necessary as the investigation continues, CFIA noted.
