FSIS Announces Pilot Project to Measure Salmonella in Raw Poultry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a new pilot project for raw poultry establishments to measure Salmonella levels throughout slaughter or processing operations. The project is the result of a Jan. 14 public meeting on strategies for reducing Salmonella illnesses attributed to poultry products. 

The pilot will be open to chicken and turkey slaughter or processing establishments subject to one or more of the current poultry Salmonella performance standards (carcass, parts and comminuted) that incorporates either Salmonella biomapping into their food safety system or a validated Critical Control Point (CCP) to control Salmonella into their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan, said FSIS.

In participating establishments, FSIS plans to evaluate a shortened Salmonella performance standard moving window, pivoting from 52 weeks to a variable moving window that starts at 13 weeks (with a 52-week maximum), said the agency.

FSIS also will consider waiver requests for alternative sampling frequency under the carcass microbial testing frequency regulation (9 CFR 381.65(g)(2)(i)). If waivers are implemented, FSIS may use the information gained during the pilot to evaluate potential regulatory changes, said the agency.

As a requirement of the biomapping pilot project, interested establishments should submit to FSIS a biomapping sampling plan, including specific sites throughout the establishment to sample and test for Salmonella (including enumeration). Once establishments have been approved for the pilot, establishments’ biomapping data collection will be routinely verified by inspection program personnel.  

Establishments that opt to implement a CCP to control Salmonella in their HACCP plans should submit information on the validated intervention to be used.

Establishments already conducting biomapping or implementing a validated CCP are also eligible to participate.

Approved pilot projects will be listed here.