Biden Admin Moves to Regulate Salmonella in Breaded Raw Chicken, Industry Raises ‘Grave Concerns’

USDA Proposes New Rules to Combat Salmonella in Poultry Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking a stand against salmonella bacteria in poultry products by proposing new rules that would ban certain contaminated products. The move has been met with mixed reactions from the industry, with some arguing that it would only cost workers their jobs and take convenient products off shelves.

What Products Are Being Targeted?

The proposal, released by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), specifically targets breaded, stuffed raw chicken products like chicken cordon bleu or chicken Kiev. The agency has stated that some people might not realize these typically frozen and prebrowned products are not actually cooked, which leads them to believe that the product is safe to eat as is or not cook the product to a temperature needed to kill salmonella.

What Are the Proposed Rules?

Under the proposal, any breaded, stuffed raw chicken products would be considered adulterated if they tested positive for salmonella at one colony forming unit per gram prior to stuffing and breading. A colony is a cluster of bacteria large enough to be viewed with the naked eye.

Why Is This Important?

According to the CDC, salmonella bacteria cause approximately 1.35 million human infections across the nation each year, resulting in 26,500 hospitalizations and 240 deaths. About 23 percent of those infections are attributed to poultry consumption. The proposed rules aim to control salmonella contamination in all poultry products and protect American consumers from foodborne illness.

Industry Concerns

Tuesday’s proposal was met with an outcry from the poultry industry. The National Chicken Council (NCC), a non-profit trade association for chicken producers, processors, and distributors, expressed “grave concerns” that it would hurt both consumers and industry without actually improving public health. The NCC estimates that on an annual basis, over 200 million servings of this product will be lost, 500-1,000 people will lose their jobs, and the annual cost to industry is significantly higher than USDA’s estimates. It is likely that this proposal would drive smaller producers of this product out of business entirely.

Have Your Say

The FSIS is seeking public comments on the proposed rules on Federal Register. The 60-day comment period will end on June 23.