010456 Salmonella Risk in U.S. Continues DeclineApril 22, 2001Washington - The presence of Salmonella, a disease-causing bacterium, in raw meat and poultry products continues to decline since the implementation of a federal inspection system 3 years ago, the US Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday. An estimated 600 Americans die from Salmonella annually out of 1.4 million cases, according to federal health data. Salmonella can cause vomiting, diarrhea and fever in healthy adults, and can be deadly for the elderly or people with weak immune systems. In most cases, USDA said Salmonella in meat has fallen by as much as 50% under the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP). The inspection program verifies that meat processing plants use certain precautions to assure food safety. Before HACCP, carcasses were examined by hand for wholesomeness. The USDA said Salmonella was present in 10.2% of raw chickens sampled from 1998 to 2000, a 50% reduction from baseline estimates taken before HACCP was implemented. Salmonella contamination of ground beef was also halved when compared to baseline estimates. Only 3.7% of ground beef tested positive for the bacteria from 1998 to 2000. “These figures help show that HACCP is working and we are seeing sustained reductions in foodborne illness as well,” said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman at a food safety summit. “However, we must continuously review and examine all of our efforts to ensure the protection of our food supply.” Despite the drop in Salmonella risk, USDA urged the food industry and consumers to continue to properly handle, cook and store all meat and poultry products to guard against foodborne illness.
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