USA: FSIS official explains reasoning on proposed Salmonella rule

The agency stated it would establish final product standards to keep levels of Salmonella at or above 10 colony-forming units (CFU) per g/ml and any detectable level of at least one of the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance from entering commerce. FSIS’ proposed rule will focus on the Salmonella serotypes of public health significance identified for raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts and comminuted chicken, which are Enteritidis, Typhimurium, and I,4,[5],12:I:- ; and for raw comminuted turkey are Hadar, Typhimurium and Muenchen. Officials have focused on these six serotypes because they cause most illnesses. Around the time of the proposed change in the FSIS policy, Emilio Esteban, USDA undersecretary for food safety, discussed the reason for the changes. Esteban also explained what poultry establishments must do to comply with the new guidelines if the final rule passes. He said the poultry industry will have to examine birds pre-harvest. Esteban said FSIS does ...