Gillibrand, Slaughter Write to USDA About Poultry Salmonella Testing Problems

From Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's office:

U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Dianne Feinstein of California and Reps. Rosa Luisa DeLauro of Connecticut and Louise Slaughter of New York on June 27 wrote to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging them to revise current pathogen testing protocols to improve test accuracy and protect the public health. 

The members wrote to Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack in response an article published this month by the Agricultural Research Service which suggested the USDA's use of three antimicrobial sanitizers commonly used to reduce pathogens on poultry carcasses may cause false-negative results for Salmonella.

Testing for Salmonella plays a critical role in the department’s inspection program to protect the safety of the food supply and the public’s health. Given the diversity of processing plants in the country and recent results of the Broiler Carcass Rinsates study, the members are calling on the department to ensure that the use of chemical sprays and dips do not create false negative test results.

“We have to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring the safety of our food. This report is a reminder of the importance of good and efficient oversight when it comes to maintaining a safe food supply,” said Gillibrand, the first New York senator to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in about 40 years.

“We should never be placed in the position to question testing results in our poultry," she said. "The USDA should provide a thorough risk assessment and respond to the recent scientific findings of false-negative results to ensure we can remain confident in the safety of the food we buy for our families.”

“Recent studies calling into question the safety of the nation’s poultry processing are deeply troubling and highlight a major deficiency in our food safety system. The USDA must take these studies seriously and take immediate action to ensure that we are not masking the threat of Salmonella,” said DeLauro. 

“Ensuring the health and well-being of American people is of the utmost importance and the USDA must do more to keep food-borne illnesses out of the nation’s food supply. American lives depend on it,” she said.

“This study is extremely troubling. We should never have to worry that the food we put on our plates could expose our families to dangerous Salmonella infection because of possibly faulty testing methods by the USDA," said Slaughter, of the Rochester area. 

"I look forward to hearing more from Secretary Vilsack so we can be sure that the USDA is doing everything it can to eliminate false-negative results and protect public health,” she said.