FSIS Develops New Pathogen Standards for Chicken, Turkey

BELTSVILLE, Md.The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has developed new pathogen reduction performance standards for control of Salmonella and Campylobacter bacteria in chilled carcasses at young chicken (broiler) and turkey slaughter establishments that are eligible for agency verification sampling.

The new standards respond to certain key recommendations of the President's Food Safety Working Group to reduce the prevalence of disease-causing bacteria, Salmonella and Campylobacter, in poultry. FSIS has had standards for Salmonella but not for Campylobacter.

The new performance standards are based on analysis of data from recent FSIS baseline sample collection programs for young chickens and turkeys. FSIS will issue a Federal Register notice in the near future that will provide specific details concerning the new standards. The Federal Register notice also will provide a full account of the development of these performance standards and their estimated public health impact and ask for public comments. FSIS intends to implement the new standards by July 2010.

FSIS has set a goal that 90 percent of covered establishments will meet the new standards for Salmonella bacteria by the end of 2010. The new Salmonella performance standards will limit the number of positive samples that are acceptable in a defined set, as compared to past standards. The new Campylobacter standards also will limit the number of positive samples that are acceptable in a defined set. The laboratory procedures for Campylobacter specifically detect samples with high numbers of organisms.