USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) latest progress report on the agency’s testing for Salmonella found that young chickens are continuing to improve their performance.  In 2012, 10,933 Salmonella samples were analyzed from young chicken establishments.  The total percentage of positive samples was 4.3 percent in 2012, down from 6.5 percent, 6.7 percent, 7.2 percent, and 7.3 percent in 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008, respectively.  In addition, of the 178 sets completed in 2012 at young chicken establishments, 89.33 percent met the Salmonella performance standard compared to 96 percent (100 sets completed) in 2011, 94.8 percent (134 sets completed) in 2010, and 95.7 percent (140 sets completed) in 2009.

At the end of 2012, 128 young chicken establishments eligible for federal testing were in Category 1, comprising 73.14 percent of all young chicken establishments, which was down from 86.7 percent in 2011.  Furthermore in 2012, thirteen young chicken establishments (7.42 percent) were in Category 2T.  Nineteen young chicken establishments were in Category 2 (10.85 percent).  Fifteen young chicken establishments were in Category 3, making up 8.57 percent of all young chicken establishments.  In 2011, 86.7 percent of young chicken establishments eligible for Salmonella sampling were in Category 1 defined, in part, through the performance standard that existed prior to July 2011.

Summary information for Salmonella enteritidis (SE) test results for young chicken show a 0.84 percent positive rate among the samples taken in 2012, which is down from 1.78 percent for 2011.

Regarding ground chicken, FSIS reported that, in 2012, 1,376 samples were analyzed, with a total of 28 percent positive as compared with 30.9 percent (466 samples) in 2011.  The total percent of completed sample sets meeting the performance standard was 76.92 percent.  At the end of 2012, 71.42 percent (5 establishments) of ground chicken establishments were in Category 1, with 1 establishment in category 2T, none in Category 2, and 14.28 percent (1 establishment) in Category 3.  In 2011, 75 percent of ground chicken establishments eligible for Salmonella sampling were in Category 1, FSIS said.

In the report, FSIS also noted that according to Federal Register Notice FSIS-2012-0007, the agency is currently redefining the sampling frames for ground poultry product eligible for testing as all raw comminuted chicken, turkey, or chicken/turkey/beef/lamb/pork mix including mechanically separated poultry at federally-regulated establishments that is not further processed into ready-to-eat product.

Further, FSIS explained that it had established a revised Performance Standard for Salmonella for young chicken and turkey carcasses as of July 1, 2011, in addition to initialing the Performance Standard for Campylobacter on young chicken and turkey carcasses.  In calendar year 2012, FSIS analyzed 30,686 verification samples across eight meat and poultry product classes: young chicken, market hog, cow/bull, steer/heifer, ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, and turkey.  FSIS explained that it uses data from the regulatory testing programs to monitor the effectiveness of its Pathogen Reduction/Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Systems Final Rule, and to assess process control in individual establishments.

The complete report can be viewed here.