Plan to keep bacteria at bay

USDA rethinks salmonella control at poultry plants in a bid to cut illnesses and deaths

OMAHA, Neb. — Federal health officials are rethinking their approach to controlling salmonella in poultry plants in the hope of reducing the number of illnesses linked to the bacteria each year, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced several steps it plans to take to achieve that goal.

Poultry is linked to roughly 23% of the 1.35 million salmonella infections in the U.S. each year that leads to roughly 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths, and those numbers haven’t changed much.

So the agency said this week that it plans to set up pilot projects to try changing the way it tests for salmonella in plants and to try encouraging the industry to do more on the farm to reduce the amount of bacteria on chickens before they enter the plant. The USDA also plans to hold a series of meetings with industry officials and interested groups to discuss other ways to reduce the risk of salmonella illnesses.

“This is deeper, more targeted and more system-based approach than in the past,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

Currently, the USDA tests for the presence of salmonella on poultry at processing plants. One of the proposed pilot projects would add tests for the quantity of bacteria present and tests for the specific strains of salmonella that cause the most illnesses.

The agency also wants to encourage farmers to take a combination of steps proven to reduce bacteria in their chickens, including using more vaccinations, adding probiotics to feed and doing more to ensure that the birds’ bedding, food and water remain clean.

The National Chicken Council trade group has said the industry has already done several things to reduce salmonella contamination. Spokesman Tom Super said many chicken farmers are already taking steps recommended by the USDA.

The USDA said 89% of the nation’s poultry processing plants are now meeting the agency’s performance standard for limiting salmonella in chicken parts. That is up from three years ago when only 71% of the plants met the standard.

Zach Corrigan of Food and Water Watch, an advocacy group that supports stricter food safety regulations, said it sounds like the USDA’s new efforts are “a move in the right direction” but he still hopes the agency will do more to control salmonella by declaring that meat found to have the bacteria can’t be sold to consumers.

Currently, it is legal to sell raw chicken with salmonella bacteria on it, which is why health officials stress the need for safe handling of raw poultry, including thoroughly cooking the meat to kill potential germs.

They also warn people should not rinse raw chicken, which can spread bacteria across a greater portion of preparation areas.

Brian Ronholm, a former USDA undersecretary for food safety who now oversees food policy for Consumer Reports, praised the federal agency’s comprehensive approach to reducing salmonella illnesses.

“Some consumers have told us they feel like they have to handle chicken like it’s toxic waste, and that’s not how anyone wants to cook in the kitchen. We’re hopeful that these steps laid out by USDA will result in more consumer confidence about the safety of the poultry products they bring into their homes,” Ronholm said.

NATI HARNIK/AP 2019 Poultry is linked to some 310,000 salmonella infections, leading to roughly 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. each year. The USDA is setting up pilot projects to try and cut those numbers. Above, workers at a poultry plant in Fremont, Nebraska.