Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) are asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to finalize USDA’s Salmonella and Campylobacter performance standards as soon as possible. In January, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (FSIS) proposed changes to the Salmonella and Campylobacter Verification Testing Program created brand-new standards for Salmonella and Campylobacter levels in chicken breasts, legs and wings, and for Campylobacter in ground chicken and turkey. The agency also updated the existing standards for Salmonella in ground chicken and turkey to make them harder to meet. The agency estimates that the changes will prevent about 50,000 illnesses each year. “Public health is at stake and we believe the department should act swiftly to implement these new safeguards,” the senators wrote to Vilsack on Thursday. They said they were troubled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2014 Food Safety Progress report showed a lack of progress made in reducing the number of Salmonella illnesses and that Campylobacter illnesses have increased by 13 percent over the baseline numbers from 2006-2008. “These alarming rates of foodborne illness are caused, in part, by the unacceptably high levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter contamination on poultry products,” the senators wrote. “Routine testing done in 2013 by the department found that more than 40 percent of ground chicken tested positive for Salmonella. A 2012 study found that 26 percent of poultry parts tested positive for Salmonella and 21 percent tested positive for Campylobacter.” Public comments were accepted on the proposed changes through March, and FSIS in January that said it planned to announce final standards and an implementation date for them in the spring.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
The revocation of the use of Citrus Red No. 2 by the FDA will have virtually no impact because industry abandoned the use of the substance several years ago.
As part of its enforcement activities, the Food and Drug Administration sends warning letters to entities under its jurisdiction. Some letters are not posted for public view until weeks or
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed.
Recent
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. is recalling select flavors of Outshine Fruit Bars because of consumer complaints about contamination with glass.
Products affected include Outshine Strawberry, Watermelon, Grape, Tangerine
Salata Dressings of Houston, TX, is recalling its Jalapeno Avocado Dressing because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recalled products were distributed in Texas HEB grocery
Grand Central Bakery of Seattle, WA, is recalling loaves of Potato Sourdough because they may contain the presence of pieces of metal.
The following products are subject to recall and
L-Nutra of Culver City, CA, is recalling Prolon brand Apulian Almond & Cocoa Spread because it contains undeclared cashew, pistachio and hazelnut.
People who have an allergy or severe
