System for Controlling Bacterial Pathogens in Poultry Technology Description: This invention is for a method and compounds combined with materials for controlling bacterial pathogens in poultry-such as Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter, which are commonly associated with food borne illnesses. Materials, like biodegradable starch, can be placed in poultry houses near the birds-particularly during feed removal-as an alternative food source for birds. Eight to ten days before birds are sent to the processing plant, the feed is taken away. When feed is removed from the houses, the birds will eat whatever is left on the floor, like feathers, insects, litter, feces-possibly contaminated with pathogens. These compositions offer birds something else to peck at during this time and provides an alternative food source, thereby reducing birds' chance of ingesting pathogenic bacteria from contaminated litter. Compositions can be prepared from a variety of materials, including biodegradable packing materials and foams, starches, or grains. Bacterial-reducing compounds can be mixed with the packing materials. When these compositions are put in poultry houses and chickens eat them, it should help reduce or kill some of the bacteria. Reference: Please refer to USPN 6,555,106, "System for the Control of Enteropathogenic Bacteria in the Crops of Poultry," which issued on April 29, 2003, and is a divisional of USPN 6,228,355, which issued on May 8, 2001.<Inventors: James A. Byrd II Southern Crops Research Laboratory 2881 F&B Road College Station, TX 77845-9594 (979) 260-9331 / Fax: (979) 260-9332  byrd@ffsru.tamu.edu Larry H. Stanker (Same as first inventor) (979) 260-9484 / Fax: (979) 260-9332  stanker@ffsru.tamu.edu Donald E. Corrier (deceased)