POULTRYINDONESIA, Bogor – The increasing demand for animal protein amidst the industrialization of the poultry sector demands a food safety assurance system that is increasingly robust and integrated. To achieve this, poultry product safety must be built through a comprehensive approach from upstream to downstream, in line with the “safe from farm to fork” concept.

This was highlighted by the Director of Veterinary Public Health (Dirkesmavet) during a talk show themed “Optimizing the Implementation of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Control Numbers (NKV) in Guarantees of Safety and Quality of Poultry Products for Indonesian Consumers” in Bogor on Wednesday (Feb 11).

According to the Director, food safety—as regulated in various national laws ranging from the Law on Livestock and Animal Health to its derivative regulations—is not merely an administrative obligation, but a fundamental right of the consumer. This system must be based on an integrated risk assessment starting from the stages of cultivation, transportation, slaughter, processing, and distribution, until it reaches the dining table. This consultative and integrated approach is key to ensuring national standards can be recognized internationally.

“Furthermore, current global trends demand that production increases be balanced with cultivation systems that are not only efficient but also uphold principles of ethics and sustainability. The implementation of animal welfare (kesrawan) is closely linked to livestock productivity, food safety assurance, and the strengthening of consumer trust,” the Director added.

In the context of poultry, the Director views animal welfare as a vital foundation. The “5 Freedoms” principle asserts that poultry must be free from hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, fear, and have the freedom to express natural behavior. Providing adequate space, good ventilation and lighting, nutrition suited to physiological needs, proper health management, and traceable documentation systems are all part of the implementation according to the recently ratified Permentan 32/2025 (Ministry of Agriculture Regulation).

”Scientifically, animal welfare correlates directly with productivity and product quality. Poultry managed with welfare standards show better growth performance and feed efficiency, lower stress levels, and a decrease in mortality and morbidity rates. The subsequent impact is an improvement in the quality of meat and eggs, as well as a contribution to reducing the use of growth-promoting antibiotics that risk antimicrobial resistance (AMR),” the Director added.

Meanwhile, a Lecturer from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (SKHB) at IPB University, Denny Widya Lukman, stated that chicken meat and eggs are highly nutritious, relatively affordable, and easy to process. However, both are at risk of carrying biological contaminants such as Salmonella spp. and are easily damaged if not handled correctly. Therefore, food safety management must begin with farm management, animal health and nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, the slaughter process, and transportation and distribution.

“The NKV standard is positioned as a prerequisite program or a basic requirement in the safety management system for food of animal origin, alongside Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). In this regard, the NKV serves as the foundation before implementing more complex systems such as HACCP or ISO 22000. Without this foundation, it is difficult to ensure food that is safe and fit for consumption,” he said.

He added that the main goal of implementing NKV is to guarantee product safety and quality, meet regulatory and ethical standards, increase consumer trust, and strengthen competitiveness. Therefore, in an NKV audit, the aspects assessed are not only administrative but also include good veterinary practices, biosecurity, animal welfare, the suitability of buildings and equipment, personal hygiene, hygiene sanitation, and testing by accredited external parties.

”On the other hand, animal welfare is proven to have a direct influence on product quality. Stress in chickens—whether due to heat stress, oxidative stress, or pre-slaughter handling stress—can disrupt physiological balance and metabolism. The impact is not only on production performance but also on meat and egg quality. This means animal welfare is not just an ethical issue, but a technical factor that determines the final quality of the product,” he added.

According to him, the integration of NKV and animal welfare implementation is a comprehensive strategy in guaranteeing poultry products—both meat and eggs—that are safe, healthy, whole, and halal (ASUH). Moreover, these standards are essential capital in building consumer trust and increasing the competitiveness of the national poultry industry amidst increasingly stringent market demands.

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