US turkey producers must step up bird flu testing, USDA says

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. poultry producers should step up testing and monitoring of turkeys for bird flu before they are slaughtered to ensure the virus stays out of the food supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. The agency is recommending enhanced safety measures in Minnesota and South Dakota, where turkey flocks of more than 500 birds must be isolated, monitored and tested for avian flu within 72 hours of going to slaughter, the USDA said. Other states may be added later, the agency added. “The new policy is encouraged and supported by states and industry, but is not mandatory,” USDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Cole said in an email. The changes come after a pet food company, Northwest Naturals, last month recalled cat food made with turkey because it tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture said a cat contracted the disease and died after eating Northwest Naturals’ Feline Turkey Recipe frozen raw food ...