Meat/Poultry

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Boar’s Head has responded to a letter from 22 members of Congress probing the company about the recent, fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to its products. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who signed the letter, called Boar’s Head’s response “not credible” and “a classic corporate dodge.”

Following the high-profile, fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to Boar’s Head ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meats that prompted an internal review of USDA-FSIS processes, the agency has announced several new steps to strengthen its oversight of RTE facilities, including expanded Listeria rule requirements and stricter state-federal cooperative inspection agreements.

This article explores the use of growth inhibitors into formulations for deli meats to mitigate Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and provides guidance for the various options of effective compounds, including clean-label ingredients, to reduce the risk of Listeria contamination in deli meats.

The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s latest Antibiotic Stewardship report showed significant decreases in antibiotic use for broiler chickens and turkeys between 2013 and 2023, with the proportion of broiler chickens receiving antibiotics in hatcheries dropping from 90 percent to less than 1 percent.

After a second Listeria monocytogenes strain related to clinical isolates was discovered through environmental and product testing, the patient count in the foodborne illness outbreak linked to Yu Shang ready-to-eat meat and poultry products has risen to 19, including an additional infant death.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reported the arrest of five men in London after trucks full of allegedly illegal smoked meat carcasses were discovered. 

In a recent independent report evaluating popular restaurant chains’ policies on antibiotics in meat, many chains received a failing grade, while only one received an A+.

A multistate foodborne outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections spanning more than two years has sickened 11 people and resulted in the death of an infant. The outbreak is linked to ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food Inc.

While recommendations to reduce sodium consumption align with promoting public health, they may also challenge current food safety uses of sodium in products on the market. The solutions are more complicated than just cutting back on sodium levels in foods like meats and cheeses.

In light of World Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness Week 2024, USDA has highlighted trends from its most recent National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) report, covering 2021.