Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 1/27/11

More people get sick today from salmonella-infected foods than in 1997, but USDA and industry officials at the International Poultry Expo were quick to point out that illnesses from meat and poultry products are on the decline.

Both Dan Engeljohn, USDA’s chief policy writer for its Food Safety and Inspection Service, and Tyson Foods CEO and President Donnie Smith made this point in presentations on Wednesday.

“Maybe broiler meat isn’t the leading cause of salmonellosis in this country,” said Smith, noting the industry has reduced pathogens on broiler carcasses by 70 percent since 2004.

Engeljohn also noted positive tests for salmonella on FSIS-inspected meat and poultry products had declined slightly from 2006 to 2009, while total illnesses from all food sources rose.

No one is saying there is no more work to be done. “We still have work to do,” said Engeljohn, noting that among FSIS-inspected products, 22 percent of those illnesses were associated with raw intact chicken products, while 14 percent were associated with raw intact turkey products and 8 percent were associated with ground beef and other non-intact beef products.

USDA pathogen efforts
In a speech on Monday at a foodborne hazards conference, USDA’s Undersecretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen reiterated her commitment to focusing of preventing pathogen-related foodborne illnesses and increased scrutiny of non-O157 E. coli strains in ground beef.

She also voiced concerns about the emergence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. USDA and other agencies have launched a national action plan including strategies for surveillance, prevention and control, and research under an Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance. 

Engeljohn told attendees at the Salmonella and Campylobacter Reduction Conference at IPE that USDA is looking to publish final rules over the next year on setting new performance standards for these two pathogens.

He said the industry is already well on its way to meeting the goal of 90 percent of slaughter establishments meeting the proposed salmonella standards, which would lower the standard for positive results for salmonella on chicken carcasses post chill to 5 or fewer positives per 51 samples from the current 12 or fewer positives per 51 samples.

Similarly, he said the industry is on track to meet the proposed turkey carcass post chill positives standard of 4 or fewer positives out of 56 samples compared to the current 13 or fewer positives from 56 samples.

Engeljohn told attendees USDA realizes progress on reducing Salmonella Enteritidis on raw poultry will take a multi-year effort and is pleased with the industry’s focus on production practices that might reduce its prevalence.

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