Assessing the effectiveness of performance standards for Salmonella contamination of chicken parts

The United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service implemented Salmonella performance standards for establishments producing chicken parts in 2016. The standards were chosen based on the assumption that a 30 % reduction in the occurrence of Salmonella-contaminated chicken parts samples (i.e., legs, breasts or wings) would result following implementation of the performance standard program. The derivation of the performance standards was based on data collected prior to the implementation of the standards and in the intervening years, so overall changes in the Salmonella contamination of this product can be assessed. This study presents a historical review of changes in Salmonella contamination on chicken parts as these changes relate to the performance standard. The analysis demonstrates that the reduction in Salmonella contaminated chicken parts samples was more than 75 %, so the FSIS risk assessment significantly underestimated the actual reduction in Salmonella contamination. An analysis of chicken parts samples collected at retail demonstrates reductions of a similar magnitude. Changes in the characteristics of Salmonella contamination that are potentially relevant to the occurrence or severity of human illness, such as seasonal changes in contamination, the composition of serotypes and changes in antimicrobial resistance, are also assessed. Small but significant seasonal increases in contamination were observed, with the peaks occurring in late winter rather than the more traditional late summer peak. Rapid changes in both the five most common serotypes and antimicrobial resistance patterns were also observed.