USDA mulling changes intended to reduce salmonella infections from chicken

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering declaring salmonella an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products, as part of a larger effort to reduce salmonella infections from poultry.

The proposed changes, announced on Tuesday, would allow breaded and stuffed raw chicken products to be considered adulterated if their chicken component contains at least one colony forming unit of salmonella per gram.

Breaded and stuffed raw chicken products, which USDA notes are pre-browned and may look cooked, have been associated with 14 salmonella outbreaks and 200 cases in the last 25 years. An outbreak in 2021 included cases in 11 states, according to the department.

“USDA is taking science-based, decisive action to drive down Salmonella illnesses linked to poultry products,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. 

“Today’s proposal represents the first step in a broader effort to control Salmonella contamination in all poultry products, as well as a continued commitment to protecting American consumers from foodborne illness,” he added.

The department proposed a new regulatory framework to combat salmonella infections in October, which included declaring salmonella as an adulterant in certain products and testing incoming flocks for salmonella before they enter an establishment.