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WASHINGTON,
August 1, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that it will be declaring Salmonella
an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products.
“Food safety is
at the heart of everything FSIS does,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack. “That mission will guide us as this important first step launches
a broader initiative to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with
poultry in the U.S.”
“Today’s
announcement is an important moment in U.S. food safety because we are
declaring Salmonella an adulterant in a raw poultry product,” said
Sandra Eskin, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. “This is just
the beginning of our efforts to improve public health.”
By declaring Salmonella
an adulterant in these products, FSIS will be able to ensure that highly
contaminated products that could make people sick are not sold to
consumers. Since 1998, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been
associated with up to 14 outbreaks and approximately 200 illnesses.
Products in this category are found in the freezer section and include some
chicken cordon bleu or chicken Kiev products. These products appear cooked,
but they are heat-treated only to set the batter or breading and the
product contains raw poultry. Continual efforts to improve the product
labeling have not been effective at reducing consumer illnesses.
Breaded and
stuffed raw chicken products will be considered adulterated when they
exceed a very low level of Salmonella contamination and would be
subject to regulatory action. FSIS will be proposing to set the limit at 1
colony forming unit (CFU) of Salmonella per gram for these products,
a level that the agency believes will significantly reduce the risk of
illness from consuming these products. The agency will also seek comment on
whether a different standard for adulteration – such as zero tolerance or
one based on specific serotypes – would be more appropriate.
The notice is
expected to publish in the Federal Register in the fall and FSIS will be
seeking public comments that address what the standard should be as well as
to inform a final implementation plan, including a verification testing
program. Once published, the notice will be posted in FSIS’ Federal Register & Rulemaking
page for review and comment. When the proposal is finalized, FSIS will
announce its final implementation plans and the date it will begin routine
testing for Salmonella in these products.
This action is
part of FSIS’ broader efforts to reduce Salmonella illnesses
associated with poultry. In October 2021, USDA announced it was
reevaluating its strategy for controlling Salmonella in poultry,
including whether Salmonella should be considered an adulterant in
specific raw poultry products. Since launching this effort, USDA has been
focusing on gathering information by meeting with stakeholders to hear
their ideas, asking for recommendations from food safety experts, and
soliciting ideas for pilot projects from industry to test drive different
control strategies in poultry establishments. USDA plans to present a
proposed framework for a new comprehensive strategy to reduce Salmonella
illnesses attributable to poultry in October and convene a public meeting
to discuss it in November.
USDA touches
the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the
Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system
with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production,
fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and
nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of
income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry
practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy
capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the
Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more
representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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