USAHA News
United States Animal Health Association
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For immediate release:

SALMONELLA COMMITTEE NAMES SUB-COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH MAJOR ISSUES


        GREENSBORO, N.C., Oct. 25, 2004 -- The USAHA Committee on Salmonella formed two 
subcommittees to deal with the main issues of concern addressed at its meeting here this 
week, according to committee chair Dr. David Castellan with the California Department of 
Food and Agriculture 

	The first sub-committee will deal with the Salmonella Performance Standards of 
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).  These standards relate to the levels 
of salmonella tolerance on poultry carcasses at slaughter.  According to Dr. Castellan, 
the committee encouraged FSIS to make these standards informal rather than in a regulation.  
He added that the committee said that all assessments and decisions should be science based 
and that there should be further collaboration and training between the animal health 
community and FSIS.

	The second sub-committee was established to gather comments on a proposed Food 
and Drug Administration (FDA) rule governing Salmonella enteritidis (SE) at the production 
level.  The sub-committee will survey experts in the field and forward a compilation of 
comments to the Salmonella Committee, which, in turn, will forward to USAHA for submission 
to FDA prior to the 90-day comment closing date of Dec. 21, 2004.

	Dr. Castellan said an FDA representative was present to answer questions about 
the proposed rule during a lively discussion period at the end of the committee meeting.

	The committee also called for additional funding for molecular characterization 
of all Salmonella Group D isolates related to the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) 
program.

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