HACCP Implementation: <i>Salmonella</i> Compliance Test Results

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service is releasing a progress report on testing for Salmonella in raw meat and poultry products produced under the new, science-based preventive food safety regulatory system. The progress report presents data for broilers, hogs, cows and bulls, steers and heifers, ground beef, ground chicken and ground turkey in large and small plants in the past year, from July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000.

Previously, FSIS published a report on Salmonella testing in large and small plants from January 1998 through January 2000, the second anniversary of Pathogen Reduction/ Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation by industry. That report showed a consistent decrease in the prevalence of Salmonella in raw products from large and small plants. The results can be found at the FSIS Web Site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPHS/haccp/salmcomp.htm

The data analyzed for this report is from complete "A" sets. An "A" set is any set which does not follow a failed set. This is consistent with earlier Salmonella progress reports issued by FSIS which provides the most direct comparison to the baselines used to establish the performance standards. The report to be issued at the end of the third year of HACCP implementation will contain a data analysis consistent with previous reports, and may be complemented with an analysis of all data from regulatory "A" sets and follow-up sets sampled subsequent to failed "A" sets. Also, with data available from all sizes of plants, FSIS will consider if it is appropriate to analyze and report data from sets which are not yet complete (i.e., currently under way), so as complete a data set as possible is included within the designated time frame.

Salmonella prevalence in most of the product categories being reported is consistently lower after HACCP implementation than in baseline studies conducted before HACCP implementation. In addition, the vast majority of plants are complying with the Salmonella performance standards. The results are encouraging in light of the Agency's goal to reduce, to the greatest extent possible, pathogens that can cause foodborne illness.

The reduction in pathogens reduces the risk of illness; however, consumers need to safely handle all meat, poultry, and other food products in order to help reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.

Background

On July 25, 1996, FSIS published its final rule on Pathogen Reduction/ HACCP, which established new requirements for all meat and poultry products to improve food safety. Under mandatory HACCP, plants must analyze their production systems, identify where hazards such as microbial contamination can occur, and establish controls to prevent or reduce those hazards. In addition, slaughter plants are required to conduct microbial testing for generic E. coli to verify that their process control systems are working as intended to prevent fecal contamination, a primary avenue of contamination of raw product with harmful bacteria.

To verify that industry HACCP systems are effective in controlling contamination of raw product from harmful bacteria, the rule sets pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella that slaughter plants and plants that produce raw ground products must meet. FSIS verifies that plants are meeting the standards by having our inspectors take product samples and analyzing them for Salmonella in FSIS laboratories.

The requirements contained in the final rule on Pathogen Reduction/HACCP were implemented in stages. The requirements for Sanitation SOP's in all plants, and generic E. coli testing in slaughter plants, became effective on January 27, 1997. The requirements for HACCP and the Salmonella performance standards were phased in based on plant size. All large plants--those with 500 or more employees--were required to implement these requirements on January 26, 1998. Small plants--those with 10 or more, but fewer than 500 employees--were required to implement these requirements on January 25, 1999. Very small plants--those having fewer than 10 employees or annual sales of less than $2.5 million--were required to implement these requirements on January 25, 2000.

Salmonella Performance Standards and Testing Program

The performance standards for Salmonella represent the first time USDA has set microbial standards for raw products on such a broad scale and is the first step towards a greater reliance on performance standards for specific pathogens. Salmonella was selected as the target pathogen because it is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness, it is present at varying frequencies on all types of raw meat and poultry products, and it can easily be tested for in a variety of products. In addition, some intervention strategies aimed at reducing Salmonella on raw products should be effective against other pathogens.

Separate performance standards apply to each species and class of product and are listed in the final rule on Pathogen Reduction/HACCP (9 CFR, sections 310.25(b) and 381.94(b)). Products currently covered by performance standards are carcasses of cattle, swine, and broilers; and ground beef, ground chicken, and ground turkey. The pathogen reduction performance standards are based on the prevalence of Salmonella as determined from the agency's nationwide microbial baseline studies done before HACCP was implemented. FSIS intends to tighten the standards in the future as industry performance improves and new data become available.

The standards are expressed in terms of the maximum number of positive samples that are allowed per sample set. Sample sets are statistically determined and range from 51 samples for broilers to 82 samples for steers/heifers. For example, the performance standard for steers and heifers permits no more than 1 out of 82 samples to be positive. The presence of Salmonella above the standard is an indication that the plant's system for controlling contamination is not working, and the plant must take steps to correct the problem, or face serious regulatory consequences.

Progress Report on Salmonella Testing

FSIS is presenting the interim results of testing in large and small meat and poultry plants from July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000, a full year to address any seasonal variation issues. Data on the prevalence of Salmonella, for the July 1999 through June 2000 period, is calculated by dividing all the positive samples by all the samples analyzed in all sets in which the final sample was collected in the designated time frame. Compliance is the proportion of sample sets completed in the designated time frame in which the performance standard is met.

Table 1 presents the prevalence of Salmonella on samples from sets completed between July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000 in large and small plants for broilers, hogs, cows and bulls, steers and heifers, ground beef, ground chicken and ground turkey. For all products, combined prevalence in large and small plants falls below the performance standards.

Small hog plants continue to exceed the performance standard, but have shown substantial improvement toward meeting the performance standard since the last report. During the past year, Salmonella prevalence in large ground beef plants has exceeded the performance standard, but this was caused primarily by one plant that experienced 47.2% positive samples in a single set (25 positive samples out of 53 collected). Excluding results from this one plant, the prevalence of Salmonella in large ground beef plants is 5.3%. As noted in Table 2, 82% of completed sets for large ground beef plants met the performance standard.

Table 2 presents large and small plant Salmonella compliance. Results indicate that the percent of large and small plants meeting the performance standard was high: 92 percent for broilers, 82 percent for hogs, 84 percent for cows/ bulls, 87 percent for ground beef, 82 percent for ground turkey, and 100 percent for ground chicken and steers/heifers. In total, 88 percent of completed sets met the standard.

Very small plants were required to comply with the Salmonella performance standard on January 25, 2000. Limited data are available for these plants as of this report. There are no completed sample sets on which to report compliance for very small plants at this time.

* First year prevalence for Large and Small establishments was calculated by using results from all samples collected for sets initiated and completed that year.

Number in parentheses is number of samples.

For More Information:
Media- (202) 720-9113
Congressional- (202) 720-3897
Constituent- (202) 720-8594
Consumer inquiries- Call USDA's Meat and Poltry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555. In the Washington, DC, area, call (202) 720-3333. The TTY number is 1-800-256-7072.
Technical inquiries:
Salmonella sampling and testing- Bonnie Rose, Biosciences Division, 202-690-6368
Salmonella testing program- Patricia Abraham, Laboratory Sample and Data
Management Staff, 202-690-6382
FSIS Web site: http://www.fsis.usda.gov

Interim Progress Report on Salmonella
Testing of Raw Meat and Poultry Products

Summary

Background

Salmonella Performance Standards and Testing Program

Progress Report on Salmonella Testing

Interim Progress Report on SalmonellaTesting of Raw Meat and Poultry Products

Summary

Background

Salmonella Performance Standards and Testing Program

Progress Report on Salmonella Testing

Interim Progress Report on Salmonella
Testing of Raw Meat and Poultry Products