USDA signals a lack of interest in combatting Salmonella

There’s a well-known media relations tactic that, if you want to bury bad news, it’s best to release the information late on Friday afternoon or right before a holiday when very few people are paying attention. So it’s no surprise that the U.S. Department of Agriculture waited until late in the afternoon the day before Thanksgiving to announce that it would delay the implementation of the rule declaring Salmonella an adulterant in not ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded stuffed chicken products. Between this announcement, and the withdrawal of the Salmonella framework last year, USDA is sending a clear signal that it does not intend to do anything meaningful to combat Salmonella illnesses over the next few years unless it gets permission from the poultry industry.