Promoting Sound Development for the Poultry Industry
 The Asian Pacific Poultry Congress has been held in various parts of Asian Pacific countries every two or three years until the last Congress in Seoul, in 1993 under the name of the Far East and South Pacific Federation Conference of the World Poultry Science Association. After the last Conference, the Federation changed its name to the Asian Pacific Federation and decided to hold the Asian Pacific Poultry Congress every four years after 1998. The Poultry Production Industry Exhibition will be held with the Congress. This event will provide opportunities for exchange of new research in poultry science.
The 6th Asian Pacific Poultry Congress and Exhibition was held from June 4 - 7, 1998 at the Nagoya Trade and Industry Center in Nagoya, Japan with the main theme "For Better Poultry Products". Professor Jinichi Okumura, Chairperson for the 6th APPC Organizing committee said that they have created a congress program in which ensuring the safety of poultry products is a primary focus. Professor Katuhide Tanaka, President of Asian Pacific Federation stated that the importance of poultry production has increased during the past decades and will increase more and more in the future due to the increase in the demand of food together with the increase in the population growth. Prof. Tanaka also said, however, that despite the increase of eggs and meat, we are now confronted with problems of infection with various harmful microorganisms. Prof. Tanaka believes that results of the discussion will contribute to the supply and the manufacture of safe foods for people of the world. Three speakers also gave congratulatory messages on behalf of some eminent Japanese dignitaries. Messages were given on behalf of Yoshinobu Shimamura, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Junichiro Koizumi, Minister of Health and Welfare and also Reiji Suzuki, Governor of Aichi Prefecture. Nagoya Mayor Takehisa Matsubara thanked all for attending and welcomed foreign guests. The Mayor was particularly pleased with the choice of location of this year's congress due to Nagoya once being the kingdom of chicken farming. The Mayor further said that prevention, hygiene, and sanitation are very important under the new approach of the HACCP system. Doctor B. L. Sheldon, from the CSIRO Division of Animal Production, said that the federation is now approaching full maturity. Dr. Sheldon further mentioned that it is important to note that there is no competition with the Europe Commission and both federation continue to function with mutual benefit. New WPSA branches are growing rapidly and the federation wishes branches to increase even further. Despite the current Asian economical problems, which were unforeseeable, Dr. Sheldon expressed his thanks to the Japanese for hosting this congress. Doctor In Kue Han, the Chairman of the World Animal Husbandry Congress, took the opportunity to congratulate all members for exercising this year's conference. He added that the conference was a good way to get new information on the poultry industry. He hopes this meeting will be even more successful than the last.
For Better Poultry Products
By Prof. Junichi Okumura, Chairperson, 6th APPC Organizing Committee
 On behalf of the Asian Pacific Federation of the World Poultry Science Association and the Japan Poultry Science Association, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 6th Asian Pacific Poultry Congress and Exhibition. The slogan of this congress is "For Better Poultry Products." The continuing growth in global trade and commerce offers our industry great opportunities, while recent outbreaks of animal diseases such as BSE and the Hong Kong chicken virus loom as a threat. Therefore, we have created a congress program in which ensuring the safety of poultry will be a primary focus. Several of our lectures and symposia will discuss this issue, including the introduction of the HACCP system which is designed to improved quality in the poultry industry. The title of our anniversary lecture is "Poultry products as resources for human health and food in the 21st century". I thank you for your attendance and hope the congress and exhibition will be a fruitful one.
Poultry Products for Human Health
Dr. B.L.Sheldon
 In the Anniversary Lecture, Dr. B. L. Sheldon evaluated the targets, challenges and constraints that effect the attainment of future poultry production needs, worldwide.
Dr. Sheldon pointed out that the growing world population, conservatively estimated to stand at 8 billion by the middle of the next century, will cause a further widening in the nutritional gap between rich and poor. Related socioeconomic difficulties must be addressed if the gap is to be closed. To this end, recent political liberalization and flexible financial and trade arrangements are movements in the right direction.
Comparing consumption prospects in countries with different economic status, Dr. Sheldon used developed nations such as the U. S. A. As examples Improvements in egg and poultry meat production since 1940. The corresponding reduction in costs allows for increased consumption. Additionally, these nations have had the benefit of high levels of both poultry research and non-poultry meat consumption. Consequently, this first group should remain at their present degree of production efficiency. A second group of nations, mainly in south America, southeast Asia and eastern Europe, have had low poultry meat consumption but a tradition of eating other meats. The expected trend should match that of the first group; maintenance of high egg consumption and an increase in poultry meat needs. As poultry meat consumption will be a substitute for other meats, no significant change in stock feed production will be required.
China and India, expected to comprise 33 percent of the worlds population are special cases. China's egg consumption is fairly high. It's increasingly egg needs can be met by following Australia's utilization of newer hens of improved genotypes, optimum vaccinations and modern housing. The increase in meat consumption, however, will require an extra 20 million tons of stock feed annually. India, perhaps representative of the remaining 40 percent of the world population, has low levels of egg and meat consumption. In order to achieve adequate consumption levels, 70 million extra tons of stock feed will be needed. Adding the remaining 40 percent of the world's annual stock feed needs (210 million tons), the projected total is 300 million tons.
Among Sheldon's proposals to meet these demands are an increase in land area devoted to cereal grains, utilization of higher yielding plant varieties and increased research. He detailed the prospects for advances in technology applicable to poultry production and concluded by emphasizing the importance of poultry production at the local level.
HACCP for Food Safety
The HACCP system has recently become effective as a new way for hygienic food control. Two ministry officials delivered invited lectures.
Hiroshi Umeda
 Hiroshi Umeda of the Ministry of Health and Welfare presented a speech on the status and prospects for the application of HACCP for food safety in Japan. Umeda began his speech by asking "What are the important factors to facilitate the introduction of HACCP food safety?". Umeda stated that among many of the necessary steps to ensure food safety is for all manufactures to abide by manufacturing standards and get approval by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in order to produce products legally. This would of course provide a much more regulated environment. Recentincidences of food poisoning in Japan has caused more awareness and demand for safer food products. It is essential for Japan to implement the HACCP system as it is regarded as the best way to produce safe poultry products. So far, Japan has received more than 200 applications sent from corporations across Japan. We are now evaluating the facilities of each applicant. We are also in the process of introducing training systems for those companies wishing to use the HACCP system.
Kenji Fushimi
 Kenji Fushimi spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He talked about the current status and challenges of using the HACCP system to ensure safer products in the future. In 1995 HACCP was introduced and approved in Japan. It has recently been introduced into slaughterhouses, helping to produce more hygienic products. The HACCP system will also eradicate diseases which plaque certain livestock animals. This new system has changed from a system of protection to provision. A specialist committee has also been implemented assuring more information, education and extension. Even more education is planned for the future. As cleanliness in animal farms is crucial the introduction of the HACCP system will be greatly beneficial.
Interviews with Top Prominent Poultry Researchers
The 6th Asian Pacific Poultry Congress was attended by specialists from around the world some of whom were interviewed as to their areas of interest and future expectations of the Poultry Industry.
Prof. Peter F. Surai
 Prof. Peter F. Surai, head of the Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences said that because of economical problems in the Ukraine, much research must be conducted in Britain, where sophisticated equipment is available. Unfortunately, at present there is only one research institute in the Ukraine which deals with all problems of poultry production. Prof. Surai mentioned that anti-oxidants play an important role in human health and diseases. In stressed conditions, chickens should be protected more than in natural conditions. Now Prof. Surai is conducting research on hachibility by checking the egg's composition in the wild. According to Prof. Surai, hachibility in the wild is much wider. Eggs reflect the diet of the chicken and composition of the egg depends on the composition of the chicken's diet.
Director David Ferrell
 Doctor David Ferrell of the University of Queens land in Australia explained that people concerned about food safety, particularly about the capacity of eggs to transmit some diseases. One of the main focuses of this congress is to address those problems. Often these problems can start right in the production unit and can continue right on through to the point of sale. In terms of eggs, it is not only a health problem but also a concern for the freshness of eggs. This means that the farmer must get the eggs from point of producing to the sales floor as quickly as possible. It is also necessary to keep eggs below temperatures of 10 degrees centigrade. Dr. Ferrell also discussed the problem of shelf life and the problem of producing an accepted chicken which is free from any kind of pathogenic organisms.
Dr. D. J. Nisbet
 Doctor D. J. Nisbet, from the United States Department of Agriculture, explained how the United States is involved with making poultry products safer. Americans are especially worried about food safety as food imports move around the world so freely these days. It is imperative for food producers to understand how to produce food safety. The United States has now developed methods of intervention strategies that will decrease the possibility of food pathogens. The United States Department of Agriculture has developed a defined competitive exclusion culture which is FDA approved and is sold in the United States under the name of "Preempt". In Japan the product is sold under the name of "DeLoach 29". Dr. Nisbet is attending this conference primarily to talk about this technology and how it works.
Prof. R. I. Hutagalung
 Prof. R. I. Hutagalung, representing an Indonesian consulting company called Nutrifindo, remarked on the well organized correspondence and communications of the congress. Dr. Hutagalung is involved with a symposia on nutritional values of tropical resources for chickens. He is involved with research on how to overcome the shortage of feed which, because of recent depreciation of the Indonesia rupiah, has become a cause of concern in that country. Dr. Hutagalung said that basically his country is concerned about the feed requirements in the Asian regions and how to be less dependent on feed imports. Agriculturally, Indonesia has the capability to support most feed requirements except for protein sources such as soybeans. Prof. Hutagalung hopes to achieve a common view on how to overcome the existing problems. Dr. Hutagalung also hopes people around the world realize the severity of Indonesia's problem.
Dr. Park w. Waldroup
 Visiting from the University of Arkansas, Doctor Park W. Waldroup's emphasis, research and teaching program is primarily on nutrition. Dr. Waldroup's wife, Dr.Amy L. Waldroup, is also a leading specialist on nutrition. Even though nutrition is not the primary theme of the congress, it's always an important part of the production of poultry. Dr. Waldroup, when asked what achievement she hoped would result from the congress stated that a number of important papers on food safety were being presented. Food safety in Asia in the past has not been as much of a major concern as it is becoming now due to the incidence of food poisoning caused bycolibacillus O-157, salmonella, campylobacter, and other such microorganisms. Unfortunately, for the poultry industry, the chicken is often blamed for being a major cause of food bornillness and often wrongfully so. This is because we can often find any food source that may contain harmful bacteria if it is not handled correctly.
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