The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is requesting public input on a notice proposing new pathogen reduction standards for salmonella in raw ground beef.
The agency is also announcing how it plans to assess whether establishments producing raw ground beef are effectively addressing salmonella and utilizing proper verification activities.
One year after new standards are made, FSIS plans to post whether operations are meeting standards on the FSIS website.
The agency also plans to increase salmonella sampling to once per week in beef establishments that produce greater than 50,000 pounds of raw beef per day.
FSIS will consider comments on the notice until Dec. 27 before announcing the final performance standards in the Federal Register.
Comments may be submitted at regulations.gov by searching docket number FSIS-2018-0045 or by mail to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Room 6065, Washington, D.C. 20250-3700.
