This project has demonstrated that the antemortem holding pens at an abattoir may play a role in increasing the number of Salmonella-infected cull sows entering the abattoir. It also provides an indication that other peri-marketing concentration and transport steps may be involved in this contamination, as exhibited by the heightened isolation rates of the direct harvested (no hold) groups when compared to levels expected in farm-direct marketed swine. Exposure to contaminated facilities for as short as a 2 hour period may raise these isolation rates. The cecal contents demonstrated the only significant rise in all the tissues cultured. This is consistent with other field and laboratory exposure observations. The failure to culture Salmonella from carcass swabs or the meat blocks produced from the test animals demonstrates that it is possible to reduce Salmonella contamination of meat products by implementing appropriate butchering techniques and other HACCP-based control steps at the packing plant level.