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| Quarterly Progress Report on Salmonella Testing of Selected
Raw Meat and Poultry Products: Preliminary Results, January - March, 2007 |
Attachments to this report:
In February 2006, FSIS announced several changes | PDF
to the Salmonella Verification Testing Program in order to implement a risk-based approach for
verification sampling. These changes include:
Increasing the testing frequency in establishments that exhibit highly variable or variable process control.
To view these criteria, visit FSIS' Web site at
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081015181529/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/pdf/
scheduling_criteria_salmonella_sets.pdf
(PDF Only)
Testing of turkey carcasses. The guidance document "Generic E. coli and Salmonella
Baseline Results," which specifically addressed turkeys
(https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081015181529/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/02-046N.htm |
PDF) (February 17, 2005 Federal Register Notice
(70 FR 8058)) specified a maximum of 13 positive samples in a set of 56 samples. That guidance was based on results
from the turkey carcass sponge baseline study conducted from July 1997 through June 1998
(https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081015181529/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/
Baseline_Data_Young_Turkey.pdf, PDF Only).
Posting quarterly results to the FSIS Web site. This is the first report for CY 2007, covering
January-March 2007. Quarterly reports for CY 2006 can be accessed at:
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081015181529/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/
Quarterly_Salmonella_Results/index.asp.
Data for this report are presented in three formats:
- Percent positive Salmonella tests by product class and establishment size. Table 1 summarizes all
2007 first quarter samples in the same format used in past quarterly and annual reports.
- Proportion of establishments in each of the three categories identified in the 2006 February Federal Register Notice.
Given the revised testing strategy, the percentage of positive samples is no longer useful as an indicator of
trends. Therefore, FSIS has implemented an alternative trend indicator for the Salmonella
verification program.
As one of the new initiatives in the 2006 February Federal Register notice, FSIS outlined how establishments
will be categorized based on Salmonella set performance. Establishments are now placed in one of
three categories to reflect their level of process control. In order to be placed in category 1, an
establishment must show consistent process control by having two consecutive sets at less than or equal to 50%
of the performance standard or guidance for its product class. An establishment that has completed only one
set (without exceeding the performance standard or guidance) or has one or both consecutive Salmonella
sets at greater than 50% of the performance standard or guidance for its product class without exceeding it,
is considered to have variable process control and placed in category 2. An establishment that fails a set
demonstrates highly variable process control and is placed automatically in category 3. This would include an
establishment that has only completed one set if that set failed to meet the existing performance standard or guidance.
(NOTE: These protocols for categorizing establishments have been consistently used for the quarterly and
annual summaries published for 2006 results. However, the footnotes used in previous reports have been amended
for clarification. The Agency has also changed the footnotes on the "scheduling criteria" document that was
posted in July 2006 to be consistent with the protocols the Agency has been using to categorize establishments
based on Salmonella set results. In addition, beginning with the 2006 Annual Report, FSIS
discontinued the Category of a "New Establishment," i.e. an establishment that is currently operating and
subject to sampling, but without a minimum of one completed set. This report, and all future reports,
will categorize establishments using the definition for total number of establishments as those establishments
that are currently operating and subject to sampling that have at least one completed set.)
Using broiler (young chickens), market hogs, turkey, and cow/bull establishments as examples,
tables 2, 3, 4, and 5 detail the
proportion of establishments in each of the three categories. As of March 31, 2007, 63% of broiler
establishments (table 2); 58% of market hog establishments (table 3); 59% of turkey establishments (table 4)
and 58% of cow/bull establishments were in category 1.
While the Agency does not expect this trend indicator to vary greatly on a quarterly basis, it should
facilitate tracking of overall industry performance when examined over multiple years. Other product classes
will be added to future quarterly reports as appropriate data are available, and other trend indicators
continue to be considered.
- Salmonella results summarized by product class for the most recent five quarters. NOTE:
While earlier quarterly reports included individual sample results from "A" sets only, this report and
future reports will summarize data from all sets. This change was discussed in the 2006 second quarterly
report which can be accessed on the FSIS Web site:
https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20081015181529/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/science/
Q2_2006_Salmonella_Testing/index.asp.
In this revised format the results for each product class are shown in a graph
(PDF Only) depicting the number of samples and the percentage of positive samples by quarter for the last
five quarters. Graphs for all product classes are included, recognizing that the number of samples can be
very small, even zero, for some products in a specific quarter.
Annual reports summarizing results for calendar
years will continue to be available on the FSIS Web site. However, the restructuring of Salmonella
set scheduling means that comparison of results from 2006 onwards to previous years will be inappropriate.
Similarly, the changes to the verification program will prevent valid comparisons of testing results over
time (e.g., quarter-to-quarter or year-to-year trends). For such comparisons, the results of upcoming
nationwide baseline studies can be used to provide valid estimates of the prevalence of certain pathogens
of public health concern and permit valid statistical comparisons to be made over time. A 12-month Young
Chicken (Broiler) Baseline Study is currently in progress, and additional baseline studies are under development.
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Last Modified:
March 6, 2008 |
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