USDA Proposes Declaring Salmonella an Adulterant in Breaded Stuffed Raw Chicken Products

On April 25, 2023, FSIS announced a proposed determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products when they exceed a very low level of Salmonella contamination.

Under the proposed determination, FSIS would consider any breaded stuffed raw chicken products that include a chicken component that tested positive for Salmonella at 1 cfu per gram prior to stuffing and breading to be adulterated. FSIS is also proposing to carry out verification procedures, including sampling and testing of the chicken component of breaded stuffed raw chicken products prior to stuffing and breading, to ensure producing establishments control Salmonella in these products.

This action is part of FSIS’ broader effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses attributed to poultry.

FSIS is seeking public comments on the proposed determination.

Comments on the proposal and proposed verification procedures must be received within 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

NACMCF to Hold Public Meeting

The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will hold a hybrid in-person and virtual public meeting on May 16, 2023, to provide an update on the Cyclospora cayetanensis in produceand Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula charges. The subcommittees on Cyclospora cayetanensis in produce and Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula will also hold meetings on May 16-18, 2023.

Attendees must register by May 8, 2023. During registration, attendees may express interest in delivering comments during the full committee meeting, limited to three minutes per speaker. FSIS will do its best to accommodate all registered persons who request to provide oral comments. View the Federal Register notice for guidance on submitting written comments as well as additional meeting details and timing. FSIS will post the meeting agenda on the FSIS Events & Meetings page in advance of the meeting.

The in-person meetings will take place in the USDA South Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20250. Room locations will be provided on the day of the meetings. Virtual attendees will be provided details on how to access selected meetings upon registration.

NACMCF has made important contributions to a broad range of critical food safety issues. Committee reports provide current information and scientific advice to federal food safety agencies and serve as a foundation for regulations and programs aimed at reducing foodborne disease and enhancing public health. Federal food safety agencies involved with NACMCF include FSIS, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Department of Defense Veterinary Services.

NACMPI to Host Public Meeting in June

On June 21 and 22, 2023, the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will host its next virtual public meeting. The Federal Register notice, published April 25, provides details on how to pre-register for the meeting and the topics the committee will consider. The details are also available on the FSIS Events & Meetings page.

NACMPI provides advice to the Secretary of Agriculture concerning state and federal programs with respect to meat and poultry inspection and other matters that fall within the scope of the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act. Committee reports inform FSIS inspection procedures and policies to help solve new and evolving food safety hazards and food borne illness trends.

FSIS Posts Quarterly Sampling Data

Today, FSIS updated the following quarterly sampling data sets:

• Quarterly Sampling Results – The quarterly sampling data has been updated to include results through the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2023 (January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023). Quarterly, FSIS calculates prevalence, volume weighted percent positive, or percent positive calculations for microbial pathogens in FSIS regulated products that are currently sampled through existing sampling projects using the prior 12 months of sampling data. This posting includes sampling results for raw beef, raw pork, raw chicken, raw turkey, processed eggs, and ready-to-eat products.
  • FSIS switched to the Cloth Sampling Method for domestic beef manufacturing trimmings and bench trim in February 2023. For more information, please see FSIS Directive 10010.1.
  • On February 1, 2023, FSIS implemented routine verification testing for six additional Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) groups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) along with O157:H7. The quarterly sampling results for non-O157 STEC reflects this change. For more information, please see FSIS Directive 10010.1 and 87 FR 69242.
• Quarterly Sampling Reports on Antimicrobial Resistance Profile – This data release includes the sampling projects and pathogens reported under the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS). It also includes the antimicrobial resistance data on pathogens Salmonella, Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including coli O157:H7, isolate counts and resistance profile by FSIS product and cecal categories, through the first quarter of FY2023 (October 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022).
• Quarterly Sampling Reports for Salmonella Serotype Information – This post includes quarterly Salmonella serotype data for Salmonella isolates collected from FSIS product categories. This release includes serotype data through the first quarter of FY2023 (October 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022).

Due to a delay in residue reporting, FSIS will update the following quarterly data sampling data set on May 5, 2023:

• Quarterly U.S. National Residue Sampling Report – Residue sampling data is available for the second quarter of FY2023 (January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023). The report covers domestic (scheduled and inspector-generated) and import sampling programs.

Available for Public Comment

FSIS seeks public comments on proposed rules and notices, which are viewable on the FSIS Federal Register & Rulemaking webpage. FSIS is currently seeking comments on the following:

• Until May 1: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Advanced Meat Recovery
• Until May 1: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Voluntary Destruction of Imported Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products
• Until May 1: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Nutrition Labeling of Major Cuts of Single-Ingredient Raw Meat or Poultry Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products
• Until May 1: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Sanitation SOPs and Pathogen Reduction/HACCP
• Until May 8: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Procedures for the Notification of New Technology and Requests for Waivers
• Until June 11: Voluntary Labeling of FSIS-Regulated Products with U.S.-Origin Claims
• Until June 12: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Laboratory Assessment Requests
• Until June 13: Notice of Request To Revise an Approved Information Collection: State Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs
• Until June 13: Notice of Request for Revision of an Approved Information Collection: Public Health Information System
• Until June 23: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Modernization of Poultry Slaughter Inspection
• Until June 27: Salmonella in Not-Ready-To-Eat Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products

Policy Update

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available on the FSIS Policy webpage. The following policy update was recently issued:

FSIS Directive 7000.4 - Verifying Certain Transferred Labeling - Revision 1

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

• Mexico
• Western Samoa (Samoa)
• Korea
• Singapore
• Barbados
• Dominica
• Hong Kong
• French Polynesia (Tahiti)
• Guatemala
• North Macedonia
• Japan
• St. Lucia
• Colombia
• Canada

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.