FSIS takes aim at reducing salmonella
Feb 24, 2006 9:23 AM, from staff and wire reports
Salmonella cells.
An initiative to reduce the presence of salmonella in raw meat and poultry products has been announced by the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a unit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Our goal is to work proactively to reduce the presence of salmonella on raw products before plants develop a pattern of poor performance,” said USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety Dr Richard Raymond. “FSIS will more quickly report testing results and target establishments needing improvement, providing timely information to both consumers and industry.”
The initiative will include concentrating resources at establishments with higher levels of salmonella and changes the reporting and use of FSIS salmonella verification test results. The effort is patterned after the FSIS initiative to reduce the presence of E coli O157:H7 in ground beef. That initiative led to a 40% reduction in human illnesses from the pathogen, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
