USDA releases a document entitled “Roadmap to Reducing Salmonella Driving Change through Science-Based Policy”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Food Safety (OFS) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released a plan to decrease Salmonella in meat, poultry, and egg products. The program has policies that are science-based, data-driven, and promote innovation to reduce Salmonella. The roadmap represents FSIS aggressive plan to target and reduce Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens. The plan goals include removing barriers to the implementation of new technologies to reduce Salmonella in plants. The FSIS encourages the implementation of low dose e-beam irradiation in meat and poultry processing environments coupled with consumer education of this technology. The plan is examining and considering semi-quantitative methods for Salmonella enumeration to inform future risk assessments. The roadmap supports the development of modernized beef inspection systems in slaughter facilities across the Nation. Finally, the plan suggests the development of a new consumer education program to identify consumer challenges and to intervene to impact behavior change.  @ https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/388d5b27-b821-42ba-a717-526f3bc68b4a/FSISRoadmaptoReducingSalmonella.pdf?MOD=AJPERES