Authors: Karen S. Powers; Jonathan D. Wheeler

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency of the USDA, has recently issued a notice in the Federal Register announcing new policies for the Salmonella Verification Sampling Program and related activities in poultry slaughter establishments.  These policies are in response to the USDA’s goal-setting strategies, which follow U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Food Safety Objectives “Healthy People 2010.”  FSIS wishes to help significantly reduce the annual incidence of Salmonellosis in humans to the “Healthy People 2010” goal of 6.8 cases per 100,000 people.

Salmonella performance standards for meat and poultry establishments were set in 1996 in the FSIS Final Rule on Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems.  Using the results of baseline samples analyzed prior to the implementation of PR/HACCP, the FSIS defined three control categories.  Establishments are placed into one of the three categories based on the number of positive Salmonella samples during the most recent FSIS random sample sets:

• Category 1 – fewer than 6 positives out 51 samples
• Category 2 – 6 or more, but fewer than 12 positives out of 51 samples.
• Category 3 – 12 or more positive samples

In February 2006, FSIS set a goal for 90% of all meat and poultry establishments manufacturing raw products to be in Category 1 by October 1, 2010.  Manufacturers in Category 1 are subject to less frequent sampling and testing requirements.  There has been some improvement, but the FSIS continues to look for measures to improve the control of Salmonella.  One measure was to begin publishing results from young chicken slaughter establishments which are in Categories 2 and 3.

In 2007, FSIS introduced the Salmonella Initiative Program (SIP).  In this program, waivers are offered to Category 1 establishments which have already met the FSIS goals for Salmonella control.  Establishments currently operating under waived regulations for On-Line Reprocessing (OLR) or HACCP-based Inspection Models Project (HIMP) have until July 28, 2008 to apply to the SIP or they will lose their waiver.

Establishments that are accepted into the SIP must collect two samples daily for Salmonella analysis, one from each shift, in rolling 51-sample sets.  The rate for Salmonella contamination must be maintained at less than or equal to 50% of the guideline standard or their waiver is immediately suspended.  This will require increased testing.  Poultry establishments that cannot regain the Category 1 status within three months would revert to another processing and inspection system, such as the traditional New Evisceration Linespeed (NEL) processing.

The SIP poultry establishments must also collect a “matched pair” of samples weekly, at rehang and post-chill, and analyze them for Campylobacter, generic E. coli, and Salmonella.   A matched pair is defined as two samples, timed to the line speed, so that the post-chill sample is taken from approximately the same grouping of birds as the rehang sample.  If any positive results are obtained, an enumeration (count) must be performed once a month.  Each month, SIP establishments must also provide the Agency with the Salmonella isolates from their establishment-collected sample sets for serotyping.  Incidence of Salmonella serotypes of human health significance will be used to evaluate an establishment for its process control performance.

Laboratory detection (presence/absence) of Campylobacter, generic E. coli, and Salmonella is used to determine a plant’s standing with the USDA and their system’s effectiveness at reducing the pathogens.  Enumeration of these microorganisms by the “Most Probable Number” (MPN) quantitative method (Salmonella) or direct plating methods is required monthly by the USDA. Quantitative data from these and other available methods will prove valuable in maintaining effective process control.

The professional staff at Microbac Laboratories offers many years of experience in analyzing samples for these pathogens and other organisms.  Our microbiologists can help develop solutions for the poultry industry as it strives to comply with FSIS initiatives with a goal to significantly reduce Salmonellosis in humans.

For more information, please contact: microbac_info@microbac.com.