The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a comprehensive proposed rule aimed at reducing Salmonella contamination in raw poultry products. This initiative is the result of FSIS' three-year effort to reevaluate their strategy for controlling Salmonella rates in poultry, with the goal of protecting American consumers from foodborne illnesses linked to poultry consumption.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Salmonella bacteria cause over 1 million human infections annually in the United States. Poultry is among the leading sources of these foodborne illnesses, with FSIS estimating approximately 125,000 chicken-associated and nearly 43,000 turkey-associated foodborne Salmonella cases each year. Despite a decrease in Salmonella contamination in poultry products, there has not been a corresponding reduction in related illnesses.
"Far too many consumers become sick from poultry contaminated with Salmonella, and today’s announcement marks a historic step forward to combat this threat," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This proposed framework is a systematic approach to addressing Salmonella contamination at poultry slaughter and processing, which includes enforceable standards that will result in safer food for consumers and fewer illnesses."
The proposal aims to establish final product standards preventing raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken, and ground turkey products containing any type of Salmonella at or above 10 colony-forming units (CFU) per gram/ml from entering commerce. Additionally, it targets detectable levels of specific Salmonella serotypes of public health significance: Enteritidis, Typhimurium, I,4,[5],12:I:- for raw chicken products; Hadar, Typhimurium, Muenchen for raw comminuted turkey. Poultry establishments would also be required to develop microbial monitoring programs to prevent pathogen contamination throughout the slaughter system.
"The proposed Salmonella framework is grounded in data and rigorous scientific evaluation," said USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban. "We encourage all interested stakeholders to submit comments and relevant data on the proposal as we work to finalize data-driven, science-based regulatory policies to address Salmonella in poultry."
Since 2021, FSIS has undertaken several activities designed to gather data informing this proposed rule. These activities included consulting the National Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food for guidance on microbiological criteria; conducting risk profiles and quantitative risk assessments; hosting public meetings and roundtables; conducting exploratory sampling programs; and adding quantification measures to FSIS’ Salmonella testing program.
The proposed rule builds on ongoing efforts under the Biden-Harris Administration aimed at consumer protection against false labeling claims. Earlier this year, FSIS declared that any raw breaded stuffed chicken product exceeding 1 CFU per gram of Salmonella would be considered adulterated. Additionally, a new rule allows voluntary “Product of USA” claims only on products derived from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed within the United States.
Comments on this proposal must be submitted within 60 days after publication in the Federal Register via www.regulations.gov or by mail addressed to Docket Clerk at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service.
To learn more about USDA's initiatives under the Biden-Harris Administration aimed at transforming America's food system towards resilience and equity while ensuring safe food access across communities visit www.usda.gov.
