12.02.2008

Starting Mar 28, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) will publish online the names and test results for plants where more than 10% of product samples are found to have Salmonella contamination. That step will focus first on broiler chicken slaughterhouse establishments, since there has been an increase in percent positive rates and serotypes of human health concern found in these products.

In the “risk-based” sampling program, poultry and meat plants are sorted into three categories according to their Salmonella test results.  Best performers—category 1—are sampled by the USDA less often than those in categories 2 and 3. 

The names and locations of category 2 and 3 plants will be published on an FSIS Web site.