The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has ordered poultry companies to improve their food safety plans, in order to prevent foodborne illness and protect the food supply.
As a part of this initiative, companies producing raw ground chicken, turkey and similar products should re-assess their Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plans.
HACCP is a management system in which food safety is achieved through the assessment and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards that arise from production, procurement and handling of raw material; manufacturing; distribution; and consumption of the finished product.
FSIS noted that the HACCP reassessment, which must take into account several Salmonella outbreaks associated with the products, should be completed over the next 90 days.
USDA Food Safety under secretary Elisabeth Hagen said that HACCP reassessments allow the companies to discover hazards and prevent foodborne illness effectively.
"Incorporating information obtained from Salmonella outbreaks will enhance food safety efforts, helping to avoid future outbreaks and ensure a safer food supply for consumers," Elisabeth added.
In addition to the reassessment program, FSIS has announced several initiatives to ensure the safety of poultry products. The initiatives include - the expansion of Salmonella verification programme; increasing the sample size from 25g to 325g to ensure consistency; and identifying the prevalence of Salmonella in not-ready-to-eat comminuted poultry products.
