|
FSIS chicken parts study flawed, industry says
Story Date: 3/2/2012
| |
Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 3/1/12
Chicken processors say a federal baseline study to determine pathogen levels and perhaps prompt tighter regulations on chicken parts is starting off on the wrong foot.
Earlier this month USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service embarked on what it calls the national Raw Chicken Parts Baseline Study. The agency will take some 5,000 rinse samples from breasts, thighs, wings and other parts besides whole broiler carcasses at more than 600 plants and, accounting for annual production volumes, estimate pathogen presence to inform interventions and reduce microbial counts.
“We started earlier this month and it will continue for approximately six months, followed by data analysis and other activities,” a USDA spokesman confirmed to Meatingplace. “At the present time, based on shakedown we have plans for at least 600 plants to participate.”
But among the industry’s initial concerns is the study design.
“A concern that we have is conducting a sampling program for only six months will not capture seasonal variation, whereas a one-year sampling program in our view would produce a more accurate baseline,” National Chicken Council spokesman Tom Super told Meatingplace.
The baseline study comes about a year after USDA published stricter salmonella and campylobacter standards in poultry processing. The industry has reduced significantly the presence of such pathogens on whole broiler carcasses in recent years, but that’s the only portion of the bird that FSIS thus far has tested. Public health data showing increased cases of salmonella, as well as a huge recall last year of potentially contaminated ground turkey, has prompted regulators to dig deeper and promise even higher performance standards.
Higher prevalence
Scott Russell, professor of poultry processing and products microbiology at the University of Georgia, told Meatingplace operators can expect a high prevalence of salmonella, relative to whole broilers, because pathogens that are firmly attached or encased within feather follicles may be released in cutting and more easily detected. Overall, salmonella prevalence is below infective dose even on a positive carcass, he noted.
“Some plants will likely have to make additional adjustments such as more intervention points or additional effort to reduce salmonella in live birds,” he said. “Yes, this will cost more money, maybe not in terms of capital investments but certainly the cost per bird should increase slightly.”
For more stories, go to http://www.meatingplace.com/.
|
|
|
|
