WASHINGTON (American Meat Institute) — The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS or the agency) published a request for comments regarding changes to its procedures for the Salmonella verification sampling program of raw beef products. FSIS will begin analyzing all raw beef samples for Salmonella that it collects for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) analysis. The agency will discontinue current Salmonella sampling set procedures in ground beef products, except in establishments with results that exceeded the standard for Salmonella in that establishment’s most recently completed sample set.
FSIS asserted that it intends to use the results from its verification sampling program to develop new Salmonella performance standards for ground beef and to estimate Salmonella prevalence in raw ground beef and beef manufacturing trimmings products.
Comments on the proposed rule are due by September 27, 2013. The Federal Register notice is available here.