The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prioritize the updating of pathogen standards for bacteria found in meat and poultry.

A recent report by the GAO says the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has not clarified when its updates will happen.

Continue Reading GAO wants USDA to step up efforts to control bacteria in meat and poultry

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is continuing its sampling plan and has published updates for the 2025 fiscal year.

The plan is designed to leverage technological and sampling advances to detect microbiological contaminants and chemical residues, thereby protecting the food supply.

In addition to regular testing, the FSIS

Continue Reading USDA includes special Boar’s Head review in annual sampling plan

Today, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) once again highlighted what food safety advocates, public health organizations, and industry experts have known for years: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) must take immediate, “additional actions” to strengthen its oversight of meat and poultry products. Despite federal food safety being on

Continue Reading The Litigated Dish: GAO Urges USDA to Strengthen Meat and Poultry Oversight

Kudos to FSIS and ARS for their work and proposing that poultry products “. . . contaminated with certain Salmonella levels and serotypes are adulterated. . . .” Implementing this rule should benefit public health. Producers and processors will likely protest because of the cost, however, a reduction in salmonellosis

Continue Reading Incentives to control Salmonella in poultry are a step in the right direction

— OPINION —

From the beginning of the Biden Administration, STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP) has been representing people harmed by poultry-related Salmonella illnesses and supporting efforts underway at USDA to make poultry safer.  This work is important to public health because contamination with Salmonella and Campylobacter makes poultry one of

Continue Reading STOP Foodborne Illness calls for stronger USDA action on poultry safety

An outbreak of Listeria infections traced to ready-to-eat chicken and meat products has turned deadly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Nov. 22 that an infant in California has died in the outbreak linked to food from Yu Shang Inc. The multi-state outbreak has sickened 11 people.

Continue Reading Death reported in Listeria outbreak traced to ready-to-eat meat and poultry

Owners of meat and poultry facilities around the country tell the Environmental Protection Agency that they will close their businesses before complying with a nearly year-old regulation requiring them to clean up their wastewater discharges.

The EPA proposed the regulation in December 2023, which would apply to wastewater discharges from

Continue Reading Will egg, poultry, meat prices rise again because of new wastewater regulations?

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has granted a second extension to the comment period for the Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products proposed rule and determination — this time until Jan. 17, 2025. 

By adding an additional two months and 11 days to the clock, FSIS is falling short

Continue Reading FSIS gives everybody 72 more days to comment on Salmonella rule for poultry

Leading consumer interests advocating food safety are asking  USDA’s Food Safety and  Inspection Service (FSIS) for a six-month comment extension for the new poultry standard for Salmonella that was rolled out in July.

The request was made to the federal rulemaking docket and USDA’s Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr.

Continue Reading Consumer interests join with the poultry industry in asking USDA for more time on the Salmonella rule