WASHINGTON — The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) confirmed on July 29 that it developed a new proposed rule to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products.

Information from the agency stated it would establish final product standards to keep levels of Salmonella at or above 10 colony forming units (CFU) per gram/ml and any detectable level of at least one of the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance from entering commerce.

“The proposed Salmonella serotypes of public health significance identified for raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, and comminuted chicken are Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and I,4,[5],12:I:- ; and for raw comminuted turkey are Hadar, Typhimurium, and Muenchen,” the USDA said in its release.

The proposal also examines poultry establishments’ efforts to develop a microbial monitoring program to prevent pathogen contamination throughout the slaughter system.

J. Emilio Esteban, DVM, USDA undersecretary for food safety, provided comments about why FSIS made this decision.

“The proposed Salmonella framework is grounded in data and rigorous scientific evaluation, and it reflects feedback from extensive stakeholder engagement,” Esteban said. “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.”

The secretary stated that one million human infections occur from Salmonella bacteria each year in the United States, according to numbers from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FSIS also estimated 125,000 chicken-associated and almost 43,000 turkey associated illnesses during 2021.

The National Chicken Council provided this initial response to the announcement.

“We support changes in food safety regulations that are based on sound science, robust data, and are demonstrated to positively impact public health,” said Ashley Peterson, PhD, NCC senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “We are concerned this proposal is not based on any of those. It also has the potential to significantly raise the price of chicken at a time when Americans are dealing with inflation in every part of their lives. We remain committed to further reducing Salmonella and look forward to reviewing the full proposal and providing comment on this significant, potential shift in regulatory policy.” 

The National Turkey Federation also responded quickly to the FSIS proposed rule.

“Regarding the Salmonella Framework, while NTF believes that FSIS already possesses the authority and regulatory tools necessary to drive improvements in food safety without implementing a final product standard for Salmonella in turkey products, we will diligently review and provide meaningful comment on the proposal,” a spokesperson from NTF said to MEAT+POULTRY. “NTF believes any standard should be science-based and should not impose unnecessary costs and product destruction for members of the US turkey industry. As we delve deeper into the Salmonella Framework, NTF is committed to continuing our engagement with FSIS to develop comprehensive strategies that will advance this crucial priority while reflecting the concerns of NTF members expressed throughout this policy progression.”

Even with FSIS data indicating that Salmonella contamination in poultry products has decreased, there has not been an observed reduction in Salmonella illnesses.

FSIS said it started gathering data on several activities to inform the framework of the proposed rule. The agency said it worked with the National Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food to provide guidance on the types of microbiological criteria it might use to better prevent Salmonella infections associated with poultry products.

FSIS added it conducted risk profiles for pathogenic Salmonella subtypes in poultry and developed two quantitative risk assessments.

Along with a public meeting and several roundtables, the FSIS is conducting an exploratory sampling program for young chicken carcasses to generate microbial data and add quantification to its Salmonella testing program.

“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.”

In April, FSIS stated that it would declare Salmonella an adulterant in raw breaded stuffed chicken products when they exceed a threshold of 1 colony forming unit (CFU) per gram or higher.

The agency is seeking public comments on the proposed determination and the proposed verification sampling program. Comments must be received within 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.