USDA introduces new initiatives to improve safety of poultry products

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced new initiatives to improve the safety of poultry products and prevent foodborne-illness.

As part of this programme, companies producing raw ground chicken, turkey and similar products will be required to re-evaluate their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans.

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is achieved through the assessment and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards that arise from the production, procurement and handling of raw material, and manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.

FSIS noted that the HACCP reassessment, which must take into account several Salmonella outbreaks associated with these types of products, should be completed within the next 90 days.

USDA food safety under secretary Dr Elisabeth Hagen said that HACCP reassessments enable companies to identify hazards and prevent foodborne illness more effectively.

"Incorporating information obtained from Salmonella outbreaks will enhance food safety efforts, helping to avoid future outbreaks and ensure a safer food supply for consumers," Hagen added.

In addition to the HACCP reassessment, FSIS has announced several initiatives to ensure the safety of poultry products.

The Salmonella verification sampling programme will now include raw comminuted poultry products, in addition to ground product, while the sample size for laboratory analysis will be increased to 325g from 25g in order to ensure consistency.

In addition, the agency will conduct sampling to identify the occurrence of Salmonella in not-ready-to-eat comminuted poultry products and will apply these results to establish new performance standards for these products.

FSIS said that these initiatives are aimed at protecting food supply, preventing foodborne illness, and improving consumers’ awareness about the food they eat.