USDA Proposes Declaring Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products
On April 25, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) released a proposed determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products when a very low level of Salmonella contamination is exceeded. The action builds upon FSIS’ October 2022 proposed regulatory framework to reduce Salmonella infections linked to poultry products.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella cause approximately 1.35 million human infections and 26,500 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year. Of those infections, over 23 percent are attributed to poultry consumption. Additionally, data from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates the total annual cost of foodborne Salmonella infections in the U.S. to be $4.1 billion.