Top poultry processors faulted for high Salmonella rates
US - A consumer advocacy group yesterday released the names of poultry processors whose plants failed federal standards for Salmonella, calling for increased testing and tougher legislation to reduce the foodborne pathogen.Food & Water Watch yesterday claimed that the 'name and shame' information shows the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is not doing enough to reduce Salmonella at poultry plants.
The consumer push for tougher food safety legislation and inceased testing could potentially cost processors more money and hurt their branded products.
The processors with failing grades include the largest operations in the country. They are Tyson Foods, Pilgrim's Pride, Goldkist, Perdue Farms, Wayne Farms, and Foster Farms.
The group said yesterday its analysis of the USDA's Salmonella tests between 1998 and 2005 provides direct evidence of the danger posed by the regulator's changes to the program that reduces the frequency of testing at some plants.
The advocacy group obtained the names of the plants through the US Freedom of Information Act. To date, USDA has never publicly released information on which plants failed to meet Salmonella standards. The regulator has said in the past that it would consider doing so as a way of pushing the industry to take better precautions against Salmonella.
Source: Food Production Daily
7 July 2006
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