More time more meetings are offered for the new Salmonella rule for poultry

When it comes to the Salmonella rule for poultry the, public has wanted more time for comments and more meeting time with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.  Now they are getting both.

The agency plans to hold two virtual public meetings for stakeholders to discuss the proposed framework to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products.

The agency will hold the meetings on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The FSIS said registration would be available shortly in a Federal Register notice and future constituent updates.

The comment period for the Salmonella framework has already been extended until Jan. 17, 2025.  The deadline for submitting comments was originally scheduled for Oct. 7 but was first extended until Nov. 7, with the Jan. 17 deadline being the latest to be set.

The proposed poultry standard for Salmonella was rolled out in July. The USDA rule would stop poultry producers from selling chicken and turkey contaminated with certain Salmonella. Consumer and industry groups seem to agree that the rule is complicated.

It would establish final product standards to keep levels of Salmonella at or above ten 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 rule would make it illegal to sell chicken, chicken parts, or ground chicken and turkey if contaminated with certain Salmonella. It is to be applied by the USDA’s FSIS.

The proposed rule was over three years in the making, and an enforcement date has not yet been set. Industry organizations, individual producers, and consumer groups are filing comments.

Recently,  Emilio Esteban, USDA undersecretary for food safety, discussed the reasons for calling the meetings and 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.  FSIS does not have jurisdiction in this part of the supply chain but will make guidance and recommendations.

Esteban said that things can be done with the water, the feed, the way you raise the animals, the environment, and vaccinations that will affect the quality of the product presented to the slaughter plant.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.35 million human infections occur from Salmonella bacteria each year in the United States. The FSIS also estimated that 125,000 chicken-associated and almost 43,000 turkey-associated illnesses occur every year.

The 149-page rule is seen as a step forward for public health.

Sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)