August 2011 Articles

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New USDA Standards to Reduce Foodborne Pathogens in Poultry

New USDA Standards to Reduce Foodborne Pathogens in Poultry Source: Theresia Lavergne, Ph.D., P.A.S., Associate Professor, LSU AgCenter
On March 16, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced revised and new standards to reduce the incidence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chickens and turkeys. The FSIS estimates that about 25,000 foodborne illnesses will be prevented under the new Campylobactor and revised Salmonella standards.
These standards were developed based on nationwide studies measuring the baseline incidence of these two foodborne pathogens. The new standard for Salmonella is that no more than 7.5% of chicken carcasses sampled can be positive for Salmonella. The new standard for Campylobacter is that no more than 10.4% of raw product should have Campylobacter jejuni, C. lari, and/or C. coli on them. This is the first FSIS standard adopted for Campylobacter. The standards go into effect in July 2011.
The good news is that the poultry industry continuously makes improvements in its food safety standards and already meets these new standards. (USDA-FSIS, March 16, 2011)
“An Egg a Day” is Further Justified
USDA’s Agriculture Research Service has released new data proving that eggs are even lower in cholesterol than previously reported. Random samples of regular large eggs from 12 locations in the U.S. were analyzed for nutrients. The eggs analyzed were 14% lower in cholesterol (185 mg) than eggs analyzed in 2002. Also, vitamin D (41 IU) increased 64% in the eggs sampled. The reduced cholesterol and increased vitamin D in eggs may be attributable to the high-quality, nutritionally balanced diets fed to laying hens. (Poultry Times, March 14, 2011)