New York - A new system for controlling bacterial contamination greatly reduced the amount of Salmonella bacteria in some raw meat and poultry in the first 9 months it was in place, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In the system, known as the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP), meat and poultry plants are required to identify critical points in their production lines and ensure that practices at those points minimize bacterial contamination and growth.
The HACCP system was implemented at 300 large plants across the country in January 1998 and is scheduled to be put into place in 3,000 smaller plants - those containing more than 10 but less than 500 employees - on January 25, said the USDA's Secretary Dan Glickman.
"By using modern science as our guide, we are succeeding in reducing the threat of foodborne illness for American families,” Glickman told the US Poultry and Egg Association's Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Based on 9 months of data collected in larger plants, Salmonella contamination dropped by nearly 50% in beef samples after the system was implemented. Before the system, 7.5% of beef samples tested positive for Salmonella, while 4.3% tested positive after the system took effect.
In samples of chicken, Salmonella contamination was 20% before HACCP implementation and 10.7% after implementation. In pork samples, Salmonella contamination declined from 8.7% to 6.2% after implementation of the system.
The HACCP system will take effect in very small plants, those with fewer than 10 employees, in January 2000.
President Clinton intends to propose greater funding for food safety and inspection in the fiscal 2000 budget, Glickman noted.
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