August 10, 2022

US NCC objects declaring salmonella as adulterant in breaded, stuffed raw chicken products

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) decision to declare salmonella as an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products is not welcomed by the regulated industry in the US.

"NCC (National Chicken Council) is concerned about the precedent set by this abrupt shift in longstanding policy, made without supporting data, for a product category that has only been associated with one outbreak since 2015," NCC said in a statement. "It has the potential to shutter processing plants, cost jobs and take safe food and convenient products off shelves."

The FSIS reported that since 1998, breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been associated with up to 14 outbreaks and approximately 200 illnesses.

The National Chicken Council's statement was issued in response to an FSIS announcement of its plans to declare salmonella an adulterant in frozen, raw, breaded and stuffed chicken products. The chicken council statement was from Ashley Peterson, NCC's senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.

"We're equally concerned that this announcement was not science-based or data-driven," she said. "Going back to the passage of the Poultry Products Inspection Act in 1957, the mere presence of salmonella has not rendered raw poultry adulterated.

"We believe FSIS already has the regulatory and public health tools to work with the industry to ensure the continued safety of these products. We've been asking the agency for years to collaborate on these efforts, including two petitions for stricter regulations, requests that have gone largely ignored."

The FSIS August 1 policy change came with the endorsement of the head of the USDA. "Food safety is at the heart of everything FSIS does," said US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "That mission will guide us as this important first step launches a broader initiative to reduce salmonella illnesses associated with poultry in the US."

By declaring salmonella an adulterant in these products, Sandra Eskin, the USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, said the FSIS will be able to ensure that highly contaminated products that could make people sick are not sold to consumers.

According to the NCC, chicken processors take a number of steps to reduce and control salmonella during processing.

- Food Safety News