The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Food Safety (OFS) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have released a plan to decrease Salmonella, one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses. The Roadmap to Reducing Salmonella: Driving Change through Science-Based Policy outlines programs and policies that are science-based, data-driven, and promote innovation to reduce Salmonella in meat, poultry, and egg products. [Source: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSISRoadmaptoReducingSalmonella.
OFS and FSIS discussed the Salmonella roadmap at a virtual public meeting September 22. Also participating in the meeting were USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The public meeting continued Under Secretary Brashears’ vision of building relationships, influencing behavior change, and leading with science to enhance food safety.
AASV representatives attended the Sept. 22 public meeting. USDA FSIS is accepting comments on the Salmonella roadmap and on the science that drives FSIS’ Salmonella reduction efforts. Interested parties can still submit written comments on or before October 16, 2020 at: http://www.regulations.gov . If you have comments you would like to include in a response from AASV, please email Abbey Canon at canon@aasv.org.