020240 Salmonella Varies Among Turkey FirmsFebruary 15, 2002Washington - Half the turkeys processed at a plant in Colorado tested positive with salmonella bacteria, and contamination rates exceeded 28% at four other facilities around the country, a consumer advocacy group says. The average contamination rate in 38 plants tested by the Agriculture Department last year was 13%, the Center for Science in the Public Interest said Thursday, citing USDA records that the group obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Nine of the plants had contamination rates under 2%. The ConAgra Foods plant at Longmont, Colo., had the highest rate at 49.1%, followed by a Cargill Inc. plant in Waco, Texas, at 34.5%. The tests were done on carcasses before the meat was processed. Heat can kill the bacteria. "The government should set and enforce standards to reduce the amount of contaminated poultry reaching consumers," said Caroline Smith DeWaal of the advocacy group. "Although proper cooking will kill bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter, raw poultry cn still contaminate other foods in the kitchen." The government can shut down chicken processors that repeatedly exceed its salmonella limits, but USDA has not set similar standards for turkeys. The department is waiting for the National Academy of Sciences to finish a study of bacteria standards before deciding whether to set limits for turkey, said Carol Blake, a spokeswoman for the Food Safety and Inspection Service. ConAgra spokeswoman Julie DeYoung said the company made changes on the farm and in the Colorado plant to reduce salmonella levels, and its tests show the contamination is now less than 20%. She said the company is studying its plants to determine why salmonella rates varied. More than 90% of the turkey produced by the plant is cooked before it is sold. "Consumer don't eat turkey products raw or even rare. Proper cooking, handling and refrigeration eliminates the risk of salmonella," she said. ConAgra's brands include Butterball, Healthy Choice and Armour. Cargill bought the Waco plant in 1998 and is making improvements to reduce bacteria levels, said company spokesman Mark Klein. A Cargill plant in Missouri had a rate of 1.8%. Other plants with the highest contamination rates were Bil Mar Foods in Storm Lake, Iowa, at 32.1%; Diestel Turkey Ranch at Chinese Camp, Calif., at 30.4%; and Farbest Foods of Huntingburg, Ind., at 28.1%. One plant, a Perdue facility in Washington, Ind., had no positive tests for salmonella.
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