(FROM SRN NEWS/AP) – The Agriculture Department on Monday announced plans to limit salmonella in poultry products in the U.S., a proposal that officials say will keep contaminated meat off store shelves and lead to fewer illnesses.
Under the proposed new rule, poultry companies would have to keep salmonella levels under a certain threshold and test for the presence of six particularly sickening forms of the bacteria, three found in turkey and three in chicken. If the bacteria exceeds the proposed standard and any of those strains are found, the poultry couldn’t be sold and would be subject to recall.
The poultry industry has made progress in reducing the amount of salmonella in its products over the past three decades, said Dr. Emilio Esteban, USDA undersecretary for food safety.
“However, there’s not been a similar decline in people in the number of illnesses,” he said.
Under the proposal, poultry companies would also have to establish monitoring programs that would identify contamination throughout the slaughter system. The proposal includes guidelines for lowering the chance of salmonella spreading through flocks before harvest, including vaccinating birds against the bacteria.
The National Chicken Council, which lobbies for the U.S. broiler chicken industry, opposes the additional requirements.
Ashley Peterson, a senior vice president for the group, questioned if the proposal was “demonstrated to positively impact public health” and said it could significantly raise prices. She said the council is committed to further reducing salmonella and looked forward to reviewing the full USDA proposal.