As the agency has left its now-withdrawn proposed strategy for reducing Salmonella in poultry behind, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) will host a public meeting on January 14, 2026 to advance work on a new approach.

The meeting will facilitate a discussion on practical strategies for reducing cases of salmonellosis attributed to poultry products. FSIS is seeking input on how to address Salmonella through better use of data, alternative performance standard parameters, and policy options that reflect both public health goals and industry realities, especially for small and very small producers.

Leading up to the meeting, FSIS held a series of interactive roundtable discussions with various stakeholders, including representatives from large and small poultry establishments, industry associations, commercial purchasers of raw poultry, academia, and consumer advocacy groups. These discussions focused on broad policy and technical issues related to Salmonella control. The upcoming public meeting will build upon those conversations and provide an opportunity for additional stakeholders to share their perspectives.

According to FSIS, the previous framework was withdrawn due to public comments in which “stakeholders raised concerns about FSIS' legal authority, the scientific basis for the proposed standards, and the potential economic impacts, particularly on small poultry producers and processors,” warranting additional consideration.

Meeting Registration and Details

The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 14 from 11:00 A.M–4:00 P.M. ET., both online and in person at USDA’s South Building, Washington D.C. All attendees, whether attending physically or virtually, must register for the meeting by January 7. Attendees planning to share public comments during the meeting must register by January 5. Comments may also be submitted via Regulations.gov on or before February 2.

The goal of the meeting is to gather feedback from the public on four key topic areas:

1. FSIS Data Uses and Opportunities: How FSIS data inform business decisions and suggestions for improving FSIS data accessibility and usability
2. Factors that inform Salmonella Controls: Barriers to implementing additional controls and incentives and support for small producers
3. Alternative Parameters for Performance Standards: Use of serotype, enumeration, and genomic factors (e.g., virulence or antimicrobial resistance); supporting data, public health impact, available technology, and industry feasibility; and product type, sampling frequency, or lotting
4. Policy Options Beyond Current Performance Standards: Alternative or innovative strategies to reduce Salmonella illnesses.

About the Previous USDA Proposed Framework to Reduce Salmonella in Poultry

In April 2025, FSIS withdrew its proposed regulatory framework for Salmonella in raw poultry, which was published in August 2024 after years of consideration. It would have determined Salmonella to be an adulterant in a raw chicken product if it contained levels of the pathogen exceeding 10 CFU/g, or if one of six serotypes of concern was detected at any level. 

In December 2025, the agency indefinitely delayed verification activities to enforce the one part of the framework that had already been finalized in April 2024—the determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in not-ready-to-eat (NRTE), breaded and stuffed chicken products at levels exceeding 1 colony forming unit per gram (CFU/g)—and revealed its plans to begin exploring alternate strategies for the reduction of Salmonella in poultry. According to the agency, this indefinite delay is due to limitations in available test methods, including concerns about accuracy and unacceptably high false positives. FSIS says it will continue to evaluate the validity of available testing methods.