According to recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection reports, in the year leading up to the deadly Listeria monocytogenes outbreak caused by Boar’s Head deli meats, serious noncompliances with food safety regulations were observed regularly at the facility responsible.
At the 2024 Farm Progress Show, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack revealed that the agency is beginning field trials for a vaccine to address the ongoing outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1—also known as “bird flu”—in cattle.
USDA has released an updated guideline to strengthen animal-raising and environment-related label claims on meat and poultry products, such as “raised without antibiotics.” Due to specific concern over negative antibiotic claims, USDA may undertake future sampling and rulemaking to ensure label claims are truthful.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a $300,000 grant to a University of Arkansas research project that aims to develop best practices for controlling pests and pathogens in soilless substrate used in hydroponic lettuce production.
On September 16–17, 2024, he National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) will hold a public meeting to advise the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) on definitions for establishment sizes, as well as on inspection technology.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA’s FSIS) has published a guidance that provides a list of test kits that have been validated for detection of relevant foodborne pathogens.
A recent study has demonstrated that targeting high-virulence Salmonella serotypes in risk management strategies and food safety regulation for poultry products—such as USDA’s new regulatory framework for Salmonella in raw poultry parts—could improve public health outcomes.
Following a survey of 3.2 million pigs raised under the U.S. Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) program, USDA has announced a total absence of Trichinella infections in the national pork supply—a parasite that was once a major food safety risk, but is now controlled.
USDA-FSIS has published its revised regulatory framework for Salmonella in raw poultry products, setting an enforceable final product standard for the pathogen that focuses on serotypes of public health significance. The framework also establishes new requirements for sampling and verification, as well as process control.