OmniLytics Inc. announced on 29 July the issuance of a no objection letter from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for use of the company's salmonella-targeted bacteriophages applied to poultry.

This poultry application will be jointly pursued in connection with OmniLytics collaboration with Elanco, the animal health division of Eli Lilly and Company.

The bacteriophage products will be used to reduce the level of salmonella contamination on the feathers of live poultry before processing. Reducing the amount of salmonella coming into the processing facility will not only help existing interventions to operate more effectively but also could help reduce the contamination that can find its way to the grocery store and ultimately to the consumer.

"Salmonella contamination in the processing of poultry products continues to raise grave concerns for industry, consumers and regulatory agencies alike," said Justin Reber, president and chief executive officer of OmniLytics.

"The USDA’s allowance of our bacteriophage technology is a huge step toward the creation of a safe, natural product that’s specifically targeted to reduce salmonella."

The company says that the FSIS letter is an important milestone on the road toward development of a commercial product for poultry producers.

Bacteriophages, ubiquitous in nature, kill individual strains and species of bacteria. The specificity of bacteriophages allows targeting of harmful bacteria without compromising the viability of other beneficial microflora or fauna. Identified in 1917, bacteriophages ('bacteria-eaters') are environmentally friendly, biodegradable and have no effect on non-target organisms, plants, animals or humans.

View the FSIS letter by clicking here.