As we all know, the USDA is tasked with the mandate of ensuring the safety and quality of meat products produced and sold in the United States. One of the ways the agency has historically regulated safety is by declaring (sometimes at unexpected times or without warning) certain pathogens to be adulterants. Since the USDA’s decision to characterize the “Big-Six” non-O157 STEC serogroups as adulterants, there has been a long-running question regarding whether USDA will take additional steps in the future to declare Salmonella as an adulterant in raw animal products and, if so, to what extent.  

USDA and the industry have long collaborated toward reducing the incidence of Salmonella in meat products. Increased testing, improved sanitation practices, and enhanced monitoring, along with more stringent regulatory standards and expectations have all helped to reduce the occurrence of Salmonella.  Despite these efforts, we see USDA stating more frequently that Salmonella remains a significant concern.  According to CDC, Salmonella remains one of the leading causes of foodborne illness, with an estimated number of annual illnesses exceeding 1 million.