On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it would increase its scrutiny of breaded, stuffed raw chicken products for Salmonella bacteria.
Salmonella bacteria cause an estimated 1.35 million infections in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Poultry is responsible for almost a quarter of all Salmonella infections in the nation. The agency's Food Safety and Inspection Service proposed declaring Salmonella an "adulterant" if the amount in the product exceeds a very low level. Pre-browned and heat-treated chicken products can appear to be cooked. However, the chicken is raw, often cooked from frozen.
Despite new labeling meant to better inform customers that these are raw products, they continue to be linked to Salmonella outbreaks. According to the USDA, salmonella infections cost the United States about $4.1 billion each year, with a loss of productivity estimated at $88 million.
A breaded, stuffed raw chicken product that tests positive for Salmonella prior to stuffing and breading would be considered adulterated.
These products would be sampled and tested by inspectors prior to stuffing and breading. This standard must be met for the chicken to be used for breading.