Foster Farms Salmonella outbreak ends
The United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has concluded its review of a Salmonella outbreak associated with raw chicken on Foster Farms and determined that the outbreak has ended.
The CDC affirmed Foster Farms' progress in reducing Salmonella to less than 5% from an industry average of 25% for raw poultry parts: "Foster Farms has implemented and continues to utilise multiple interventions to reduce Salmonella throughout its entire poultry production process. This strategy includes interventions at the breeder level, at hatcheries, at grow-out farms, and at the processing plant where the final product is packaged. Supported by data from continuous testing by Foster Farms, these interventions have reduced Salmonella prevalence to less than 5% in the Foster Farms establishments linked to this outbreak. FSIS has determined that process control measures undertaken by the firm to consistently minimise Salmonella contamination of raw chicken have been successful. "
Experts agree that even with very low levels of Salmonella incidence, the poultry industry cannot completely eliminate the risk of illness associated with raw poultry. All raw chicken must be properly handled to avoid cross contamination and fully cooked to 74 degree Celsius to ensure safety.
