Feinstein, Durbin, Gillibrand Urge USDA To Update Pathogen Standards For Beef, Pork

Press Release

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today urged the Department of Agriculture to establish strong pathogen standards for pork and beef products.

In a joint letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the senators wrote: "There are currently no Salmonella performance standards for ground pork or pork parts, and the standards for pork carcasses have not been updated in nearly 20 years. Ground beef Salmonella performance standards are similarly outdated, and there are no Salmonella standards for beef parts."

They added: "We were disappointed to see that the Food Safety and Inspection Service did not include the development of beef performance standards as part of its Salmonella Action Plan. A more stringent performance standard is needed to push the industry to further improve food safety."

Source