Analysis of Salmonella serotypes from selected carcasses and raw ground products sampled prior to implementation of the Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Final Rule in the US

In July 1996, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Insp ection Service (FSIS), published the Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis an d Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems final rule to improve food safety of meat and poultry products. The final rule established, among other requi rements, pathogen reduction performance standards for Salmonella for food a nimal carcasses and raw ground products. The final rule is to be fully impl emented in three stages in successively smaller federally inspected meat an d poultry slaughter and processing establishments. Implementation began in January 1998 and was completed in January 2000. Samples of carcasses of fou r species of food animals (cattle, swine, chickens, turkeys), and raw groun d product from each of these species, were collected by FSIS from establish ments prior to implementation of the final rule and cultured for Salmonella . This paper reports Salmonella serotype results of samples collected from June 1997 through August 1998. These results represent a baseline for futur e comparisons. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.