USDA proposed changes to the poultry processing industry to reduce the level of Salmonella in birds, with a focus on 3 specific serotypes. The proposed actions include:
USDA’s FSIS wants to curtail salmonella cases by starting with the farmers that raise the birds
PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 16, 2022
DAVID PITT Associated Press
- First "testing incoming flocks of chickens and turkeys for the bacterial disease that commonly affects the intestinal tract and affects 1.3 million people annually with symptoms that may include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting which could last for several days. Officials hope testing chickens and turkeys before they enter the slaughterhouse will encourage farmers to adopt practices that reduce the bacterial infection on the bird before they reach the point of meat processing."
- "A second measure would require enhanced monitoring for salmonella during processing by adopting sampling for the bacteria at multiple stages inside the processing facility."
- "The third major change would be to establish a maximum level of bacterial contamination allowed and possibly limiting the three specific types of salmonella that can make people sick. Meat that would exceed the limits or that would contain the types of salmonella prohibited could be withheld from the market."
This is not an easy get. It will add costs to the system beyond that involved with testing. First, it will need to push back control to the farmer where there will be costs of testing and potentially culling of birds or diversion of flocks to less attractive processing alternatives. It may lead to supply chain issues associated with the tight planning systems used in many farm-to-processor arrangements.
To this point, this appears to be primarily driven by consumer advocates. It will take a cooperative effort with industry to make it work.
PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 16, 2022
DAVID PITT Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday proposed sweeping changes in the way chicken and turkey meat is processed that are intended to reduce illnesses from food contamination but could require meat companies to make extensive changes to their operations.
Despite decades of efforts to try and reduce illnesses caused by salmonella in food, more than 1 million people are sickened every year and nearly a fourth of those cases come from turkey and chicken meat.
As it stands, consumers bear much of the responsibility for avoiding illness from raw poultry by handling it carefully in the kitchen — following the usual advice to not wash raw chicken or turkey (it spreads the bacteria), using separate utensils when preparing meat and cooking to 165 degrees. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service wants to do something about it by starting with the farmers that raise the birds and following through the processing plant where the meat is made.
Their food poisoning target: Of the more than 2,500 salmonella serotypes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three that cause a third of all human illnesses from chicken and turkey products. The agency proposes limiting the presence of these on poultry products.
The USDA estimates the total yearly cost for foodborne salmonella infections in the U.S. at $4.1 billion, which includes the cost of doctor and hospital visits, recovery and premature deaths.
In 1994, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service took a similar step by declaring some strains of E. coli a contaminant in ground beef and launched a testing program for the pathogen which has significantly reduced illnesses from the meat.
In an effort to curtail salmonella outbreaks in poultry, the agency is proposing a regulatory framework that would include testing incoming flocks of chickens and turkeys for the bacterial disease that commonly affects the intestinal tract and affects 1.3 million people annually with symptoms that may include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting which could last for several days. Officials hope testing chickens and turkeys before they enter the slaughterhouse will encourage farmers to adopt practices that reduce the bacterial infection on the bird before they reach the point of meat processing.
A second measure would require enhanced monitoring for salmonella during processing by adopting sampling for the bacteria at multiple stages inside the processing facility. The third major change would be to establish a maximum level of bacterial contamination allowed and possibly limiting the three specific types of salmonella that can make people sick. Meat that would exceed the limits or that would contain the types of salmonella prohibited could be withheld from the market.
The USDA says there are about 3,000 federally inspected plants that slaughter poultry but about 220 produce the vast majority of poultry products. The agency said it is difficult to say at this point how many would be affected by the future rulemaking.
The FSIS will begin a lengthy process of proposing new rules by holding a public hearing on Nov. 3 to get input from the poultry industry and others. The government’s goal is to come up with new rules and regulations that could be rolled out beginning next year and completed within two years.
The agency said it is taking its time to roll out these ideas and get input before establishing firm regulations. The agency hopes to begin rulemaking in mid-2023 and complete it in two years, said USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin.
“We know this is quite a pivot from where the agency has been historically and for that reason we’re trying to be as transparent and deliberative and collaborative as possible,” Eskin said.
Consumer advocates have pushed for such action on poultry products for years. Eskin said the administration of President Joe Biden is pushing to make the changes.
Seattle-based lawyer Bill Marler, one of the nation’s leading lawyers to represent consumers sickened by food sources applauded the agency’s action which recognizes that controlling salmonella on animals before they reach processing plants is crucial to reducing meat contamination. He said FSIS should be bold and deem salmonella is a adulterant — a contaminant that can cause food-borne illness — in all meat as a starting point.
“What they’ve outlined is something that’s really unique that they have not ever done before but it doesn’t have a time line and doesn’t have regulations attached that would show it’s actually going to be accomplished. That’s my criticism,” he said.
The industry has been unable to meet government targets for reducing food-borne salmonella infections for a couple of decades. Meeting the new target set for 2030 of 11.5 infections per 100,000 people a year would require a 25% reduction, Eskin said.
Eskin said the industry has managed to reduce the number of chicken samples contaminated with salmonella by 50% from 2017 to 2021, but the rate of salmonella illnesses over the last two decades has not significantly declined. More than 23% of foodborne salmonella illnesses are attributable to poultry consumption with nearly 17% coming from chicken meat and more than 6% from turkey meat.
The North American Meat Institute, the trade association representing U.S. packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey said efforts to combat salmonella are a high priority.
“We are encouraged to see FSIS is going through the regular rulemaking process. We look forward to reviewing the proposal and providing comment from the industry,” said Julie Anna Potts, the group’s president and CEO.
A spokeswoman for the National Chicken Council, which represents the companies that raise and process chickens for meat said they support efforts to reduce salmonella on chicken products.
“We are concerned that the proposed framework currently lacks industry input, research and data to support it,” said Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the group.
–By DAVID PITT Associated Press
USDA Releases Proposed Regulatory Framework to Reduce Salmonella Infections Linked to Poultry Products
Agency seeks comments on framework at public meeting
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today released a proposed regulatory framework for a new strategy to control Salmonella contamination in poultry products and reduce foodborne illnesses attributed to these products. The agency is hosting a virtual public meeting on Nov. 3, 2022, to seek input from stakeholders on the proposed framework.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause approximately 1.35 million human infections and 26,500 hospitalizations in the United States every year. Of those infections, over 23% are attributed to poultry consumption. Foodborne illness can have a devastating impact, both personally and financially, on people’s lives, the cost of which reverberates through the economy. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) show the total cost for foodborne Salmonella infections in the United States is a staggering $4.1 billion annually and the cost for the loss of productivity to the economy is $88 million. These are real costs to real people that can and should be prevented.
“We know that Salmonella in poultry is a complex problem with no single solution,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary Sandra Eskin. “However, we have identified a series of strategic actions FSIS could take that are likely to drive down Salmonella infections linked to poultry products consumption, and we are presenting those in this proposed framework.”
“This is a historic first step toward final product standards that are science-based, risk-based, enforceable, and effective at protecting our vulnerable loved ones,” said Amanda Craten, board member of STOP Foodborne Illness. “As a parent of a child who suffered from Salmonella illness and is left with permanent injury, I have advocated and engaged in the process to modernize poultry standards to ensure no child has to experience the devastation of a preventable, virulent Salmonella illness. I’m thankful that USDA is making the prevention of illnesses like my son Noah’s a priority.”
The proposed framework has been shaped by months of information-gathering and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, researchers, and scientists. The proposed framework consists of three key components that, together, support a comprehensive approach to controlling Salmonella in poultry.
Requiring that incoming flocks be tested for Salmonella before entering an establishment;
Enhancing establishment process control monitoring and FSIS verification; and
Implementing an enforceable final product standard.
The framework under consideration also addresses cross-cutting issues of testing for Salmonella, the impact on small and very small establishments and data sharing.
Dr. Craig Hedberg, a professor at University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Co-Director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, agrees that this framework “is an important step towards moving away from hazard-based regulation toward risk-based regulation. Focusing on levels of Salmonella and highly virulent strains of Salmonella rather than just the presence or absence of Salmonella should reduce the number of illnesses associated with poultry.”
Dr. Angie Siemens, Vice President for Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory at Cargill, said, “In alignment with our strong commitment to food safety, Cargill supports the need to develop a public health risked based approach to assist in meeting the Healthy People 2030 Salmonella targets. We look forward to reviewing the FSIS Salmonella framework and engaging in a robust dialogue on this issue.”
FSIS is soliciting input on all aspects of the draft framework, related to the three components as well as the cross-cutting issues. An online copy of the proposed framework is available at: www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/inspection-programs/inspection-poultry-products/reducing-salmonella-poultry/proposed.
Concurrently, FSIS is gathering scientific evidence relevant to the approaches presented in the proposed framework.
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) has been charged with providing guidance on what types of microbiological criteria FSIS might use to better prevent Salmonella infections associated with poultry products.
FSIS is also completing a risk profile for pathogenic Salmonella subtypes in poultry and is collaborating on quantitative risk assessments for Salmonella in chicken and turkey that will address key risk management questions associated with this framework.
FSIS also expanded its exploratory sampling program for young chicken carcasses to generate microbial data to help inform future policies.
FSIS is transitioning from using presence-based tests to tests that quantify the amount of all Salmonella cells.
Representatives from industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the public meeting. Attendees must pre-register to attend the meeting. To view the agenda and to register to attend, please visit the Meetings and Events page on the FSIS website. The meeting will be held on Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET via Zoom.
FSIS is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the proposed framework, both at the public meeting and in written comments submitted to the meeting docket published in the Federal Register. Comments and information received on the proposed framework will be considered by FSIS before moving forward with any proposed changes to regulations or other actions. Anyone who wishes to provide oral comments on the proposed framework at the public meeting should indicate so when registering for the public meeting. Written comments should be submitted at www.regulations.gov. Interested persons will have 30 days to comment after the meeting notice is published in the Federal Register. To view the Federal Register meeting notice and information on how to comment or submit information, visit the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices/proposed-framework-controlling.
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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Agency seeks comments on framework at public meeting
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2022 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today released a proposed regulatory framework for a new strategy to control Salmonella contamination in poultry products and reduce foodborne illnesses attributed to these products. The agency is hosting a virtual public meeting on Nov. 3, 2022, to seek input from stakeholders on the proposed framework.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause approximately 1.35 million human infections and 26,500 hospitalizations in the United States every year. Of those infections, over 23% are attributed to poultry consumption. Foodborne illness can have a devastating impact, both personally and financially, on people’s lives, the cost of which reverberates through the economy. Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) show the total cost for foodborne Salmonella infections in the United States is a staggering $4.1 billion annually and the cost for the loss of productivity to the economy is $88 million. These are real costs to real people that can and should be prevented.
“We know that Salmonella in poultry is a complex problem with no single solution,” said USDA Deputy Under Secretary Sandra Eskin. “However, we have identified a series of strategic actions FSIS could take that are likely to drive down Salmonella infections linked to poultry products consumption, and we are presenting those in this proposed framework.”
“This is a historic first step toward final product standards that are science-based, risk-based, enforceable, and effective at protecting our vulnerable loved ones,” said Amanda Craten, board member of STOP Foodborne Illness. “As a parent of a child who suffered from Salmonella illness and is left with permanent injury, I have advocated and engaged in the process to modernize poultry standards to ensure no child has to experience the devastation of a preventable, virulent Salmonella illness. I’m thankful that USDA is making the prevention of illnesses like my son Noah’s a priority.”
The proposed framework has been shaped by months of information-gathering and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, researchers, and scientists. The proposed framework consists of three key components that, together, support a comprehensive approach to controlling Salmonella in poultry.
Requiring that incoming flocks be tested for Salmonella before entering an establishment;
Enhancing establishment process control monitoring and FSIS verification; and
Implementing an enforceable final product standard.
The framework under consideration also addresses cross-cutting issues of testing for Salmonella, the impact on small and very small establishments and data sharing.
Dr. Craig Hedberg, a professor at University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Co-Director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, agrees that this framework “is an important step towards moving away from hazard-based regulation toward risk-based regulation. Focusing on levels of Salmonella and highly virulent strains of Salmonella rather than just the presence or absence of Salmonella should reduce the number of illnesses associated with poultry.”
Dr. Angie Siemens, Vice President for Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory at Cargill, said, “In alignment with our strong commitment to food safety, Cargill supports the need to develop a public health risked based approach to assist in meeting the Healthy People 2030 Salmonella targets. We look forward to reviewing the FSIS Salmonella framework and engaging in a robust dialogue on this issue.”
FSIS is soliciting input on all aspects of the draft framework, related to the three components as well as the cross-cutting issues. An online copy of the proposed framework is available at: www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/inspection-programs/inspection-poultry-products/reducing-salmonella-poultry/proposed.
Concurrently, FSIS is gathering scientific evidence relevant to the approaches presented in the proposed framework.
The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) has been charged with providing guidance on what types of microbiological criteria FSIS might use to better prevent Salmonella infections associated with poultry products.
FSIS is also completing a risk profile for pathogenic Salmonella subtypes in poultry and is collaborating on quantitative risk assessments for Salmonella in chicken and turkey that will address key risk management questions associated with this framework.
FSIS also expanded its exploratory sampling program for young chicken carcasses to generate microbial data to help inform future policies.
FSIS is transitioning from using presence-based tests to tests that quantify the amount of all Salmonella cells.
Representatives from industry, consumer groups and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the public meeting. Attendees must pre-register to attend the meeting. To view the agenda and to register to attend, please visit the Meetings and Events page on the FSIS website. The meeting will be held on Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET via Zoom.
FSIS is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the proposed framework, both at the public meeting and in written comments submitted to the meeting docket published in the Federal Register. Comments and information received on the proposed framework will be considered by FSIS before moving forward with any proposed changes to regulations or other actions. Anyone who wishes to provide oral comments on the proposed framework at the public meeting should indicate so when registering for the public meeting. Written comments should be submitted at www.regulations.gov. Interested persons will have 30 days to comment after the meeting notice is published in the Federal Register. To view the Federal Register meeting notice and information on how to comment or submit information, visit the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices/proposed-framework-controlling.
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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