According to new data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS), the meat and poultry industry is making great strides in implementing and complying with food safety related mandates, particularly those to do with microbial contaminants. In a series of announcements this fall, the agency reported significant drops in the number of pathogen-positive samples taken from both raw and ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products as compared with findings in years past. The numbers are encouraging:
• In September 2003, FSIS released data showing a drop in the number of E. coli O157:H7 positive samples in ground beef collected through Aug. 31, 2003 compared with past years. Of these samples, 0.32% tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, down from 0.78% in 2002 and 0.84% in 2001.