The USDA is planning to reduce some Salmonella testing for poultry products for the coming fiscal year, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
In a 33-page sampling plan for fiscal year 2024, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) outlines the number of samples it plans to test. The agency says most of the cutbacks are because it already has enough data to study.
“It is important to note that this document reflects the agency’s plan, and there may be a difference between the number of samples anticipated to be analyzed and the total number of samples analyzed within the fiscal year. Several variables can impact the plan as the fiscal year progresses,” according to the plan document.
“FSIS laboratories perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) on all foodborne pathogens isolated and confirmed from FSIS-regulated products. When product samples test positive for bacterial pathogens, FSIS engages with federal partners to use WGS data for regulatory and public health purposes. The information gathered from WGS helps FSIS to detect and investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness, identify potential instances of harborage, and identify unique genes, including antimicrobial resistance genes.”
The FSIS qualifies its approach to Salmonella testing, saying that some Salmonella microorganisms are less likely to result in foodborne illnesses. Some consumer protection groups have previously challenged the agency’s position, wanting testing for more types of Salmonella than the agency is proposing, but Consumer Reports says the new sampling plan makes sense in many ways.
Michael Hansen is with Consumer Reports and serves on the National Advisory Council on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. The council provides impartial scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health issues related to the safety of the U.S. food supply.
Hansen says it is important to note that the FSIS can now better test for Salmonella and Campylobacter.
“As science has advanced and the price of whole genome sequencing has come down, they are testing for more types of Salmonella,” Hansen said.
That is good news because a single chicken sample can be contaminated with numerous types of Salmonella, some of which are more likely to cause serious human illnesses.
Hansen also said it is good news that the agency is making results public to be further analyzed. He said another positive point in the sampling plan is that the agency is taking a closer look at Campylobacter contamination.
“Current and future efforts include exploring the use of genomic data to attribute Salmonella and Campylobacter illnesses to foods, to understand pathogen adaptability, persistence, and pathogenicity, and to use subtyping data to understand the diversity and ubiquity of pathogen subtypes found in regulated products. These efforts will also build on the public health, regulatory, and research partners’ endeavors in support of FSIS Research Priorities,” according to the sampling plan.
“. . . In FY 2023, FSIS worked with a contractor to develop an allele code scheme for naming both Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. The allele codes provide terminology that is amenable to reporting and allows for comparing FSIS isolate sequences to each other, identifying repetitive or persistent subtypes. The Campylobacter allele codes are publicly available in the establishment-specific sampling datasets,” according to the sampling plan.
The sampling plan eliminates testing in some instances, but the agency says that is because it has enough data from previous years to address illnesses from certain types of contamination.
“FSIS will continue to explore Salmonella enumeration analysis of multiple poultry product types in support of the agency’s comprehensive approach to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products. As the presence of Salmonella and the quantity of Salmonella microorganisms can impact the likelihood of illness, FSIS will continue to examine how quantification can be incorporated into this approach. Moreover, with emerging science suggesting that not all Salmonella are equally likely to cause human illness, FSIS will explore Salmonella serotypes and virulence factors that pose the greatest public health risk,” according to the sampling plan.
One part of the sampling plan that Hansen finds troublesome is the cutback in testing of ground chicken and turkey. The FSIS plans to cut that testing by half, which Hansen says is unfortunate because such chicken products are the most likely to be contaminated.
The agency plans to
- Suspend exploratory sampling of mechanically separated turkey and chicken products (-300 samples; implement Oct. 1, 2023); FSIS has collected adequate data from these products for analysis.
- Suspend exploratory sampling of chicken halves and quarters (-120 samples; implement Oct. 1, 2023); FSIS has collected adequate data from these products for analysis.
- Decrease Campylobacter analysis in all poultry products to the minimum samples needed to estimate prevalence (—13,600 tests; implement Oct. 1, 2023) while FSIS considers the next steps for Campylobacter policy.
- Decrease sample scheduling for comminuted chicken and turkey products by 50% to align with the routine sampling assignments for carcasses and parts(-2,000 samples; implement Jan. 1, 2024).
More key points from the fiscal year 2024 sampling plan
The FSIS has already begun an effort to reduce Salmonella in certain raw, breaded chicken products. The 2024 plan addresses some of that effort. The agency plans to implement verification testing approaches for raw, not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded, stuffed chicken products.
Other points in the sampling plan for poultry for the 2024 fiscal year include:
- Reducing the number of tests for Salmonella and Campylobacter for ground and other comminuted chicken (not mechanically separated) from 2,500 to 1,250;
- Reducing the testing of turkey carcasses from 1,730 to 700;
- Reducing ground and other comminuted turkey (not Mechanically Separated) from 1,500 to 750 and
- Eliminating the exploratory for mechanically separated turkey.
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