Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 6/2/16


USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced it will push back until July 1 the date when the agency will begin assessing how poultry processors are complying with new pathogen reduction standards for salmonella and campylobacter.
FSIS announced in a Federal Register notice published in February it would begin collecting samples in chicken parts and comminuted chicken and turkey products on May 11.
The agency said in a constituent update it needs the extra time to allow inspectors to learn the new sampling procedures.

The standards for salmonella and campylobacter are:
Comminuted chicken
25 percent for salmonella
1.9 percent for campylobacter
Comminuted turkey
13.5 percent for salmonella
1.9 percent for campylobacter
Chicken parts
15.4 percent for salmonella
7.7 percent for campylobacter

FSIS expects to see plants struggle to comply with the new standards at first.

The agency states in the Federal Register notice: “FSIS estimates that approximately 63 percent of raw chicken parts producing establishments, 62 percent of NRTE comminuted chicken producing establishments, and 58 percent of NRTE comminuted turkey producing establishments will not meet the new Salmonella standards. FSIS estimates that approximately 46 percent of raw chicken parts producing establishments, 24 percent of NRTE comminuted chicken producing establishments, and 9 percent of NRTE comminuted turkey producing establishments will not meet the new Campylobacter standards.”

Changes
Those establishments that do not meet the standards initially will have to make changes, which could include pre-harvest interventions, such as vaccination programs; well-timed feed withdrawal; clean and dry litter and transportation; and supplier contract guarantees of pathogen-free flocks. During processing, operations could add additional cleaning procedures, apply chemical antimicrobial agents to parts and source materials for comminuted poultry product, and provide additional sanitation training to employees, the agency notes.

FSIS will post results on its website and place establishments in the following categories:
• Category 1: Consistent Process Control: Establishments that have achieved 50 percent or less of the Salmonella or Campylobacter maximum allowable percent positive during all completed 52-week moving windows over the last three months. 
• Category 2: Variable Process Control: Establishments that meet the Salmonella or Campylobacter maximum allowable percent positive for all completed 52-week moving windows but have results greater than 50 percent of the maximum allowable percent positive during any completed 52-week moving window over the last three months. III. 
• Category 3: Highly Variable Process Control: Establishments that have exceeded the Salmonella or Campylobacter maximum allowable percent positive during any completed 52-week moving window over the last three months. 
• Passing: Establishments that meet the Campylobacter maximum allowable percent positive for NRTE comminuted chicken or turkey during all completed 52-week moving windows over the last three months. 
• Failing: Establishments that have exceeded the Campylobacter maximum allowable percent positive for NRTE comminuted chicken or turkey during any completed 52-week moving window over the last three months. 

FSIS will collect samples based on the volume of production at an establishment. FSIS will sample eligible product from the largest-volume establishments four or five times per month (once per week), on average, and will decrease incrementally the number of samples it collects from establishments producing less volume.

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