Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 10/16/14

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) plans to move forward with new ground beef pathogen performance standards, HACCP validation guidance and may issue guidance on controlling salmonella in cattle lymph nodes in 2015, officials said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the North American Meat Association’s Pathogen Control and Regulatory Compliance conference in Chicago, newly appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Alfred Almanza said the agency hopes to finalize before the end of this year the mechanically tenderized meat labeling requirements that were proposed in 2013. If the rule is finalized by the end of this year, it would go into effect in 2016.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) illnesses from beef in the United States have been on the increase over the past 18 months, Rachel Edelstein, deputy assistant administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Office of Public Policy and Program Development told industry members at the conference, citing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. She noted the proportion of illnesses attributed to STEC – specifically O157 in beef – are also on the increase.

Illnesses attributed to ground beef from salmonella are also of concern, she said, noting that about four outbreaks associated with salmonella in beef occur annually.

“We are aware that lymph nodes may be a source of salmonella, in particular in ground beef. We are looking at ARS research and considering how best to address the risk,” said Edelstein. “For example, based on the research, we may issue guidance.

We also may look at whether we need to change post-mortem inspection for incising lymph nodes. And based on risk assessment and cost benefit analysis, we may consider whether or not to propose a change to the regulations if necessary.”

She added that FSIS would first gauge industry views and address industry concerns before moving forward to making new rules.

Edelstein said USDA soon will also publish a cost/benefit analysis of its non-O157 STEC testing program for ground beef in the Federal Register and will seek and respond to comments before expanding testing to beef trim.

The agency is also developing a sanitary dressing directive for hog slaughter similar to the existing directive for beef slaughter, she said, noting there is evidence that salmonella can be present in pork production.

Finally, in response to a question, Edelstein said labeling requirements for meats with added solutions are in the final stages of approval at the White House Office of Management and Budget. That rule responds to 2012 petitions claiming that consumers often were not aware when liquid solutions have been added to raw products. The rule would require that the solution would have to be included in the product name.

Almanza also told the group that HACCP validation guidance is in the final stages of clearance and expected to be published in the Federal Register “in the very near future.”

In 2015, the agency will also publish the results of research conducted with Kansas State University that looked at consumer food safety practices in test kitchens, which showed serious problems with cross contamination. He said the agency is already using the results to inform education programs.

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