USDA to limit Salmonella in frozen breaded stuffed chicken

The USDA released a finalized rule on May 1, 2024, restricting Salmonella levels in frozen, breaded, and stuffed chicken products such as Chicken Cordon Bleu and Chicken Kyiv. These products account for a disproportionate number of Salmonella outbreaks, as consumers may not realize they are not packaged ready-to-eat.

Why Salmonella in breaded, stuffed chicken products is a concern

In May 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a new finalized rule restricting the presence of Salmonella in certain chicken products. At issue in the rule are chicken products that are breaded, stuffed, and not ready-to-eat, such as Chicken Cordon Bleu, Chicken Kyiv, and the like. Typically frozen, such chicken products have been disproportionately associated with Salmonella outbreaks in the US. This category of chicken products accounts for a tiny fraction of domestic chicken products—only 0.15 percent—but has accounted for five percent of all chicken-related Salmonella outbreaks between the years 1998 and 2020.

Non-ready-to-eat breaded and stuffed chicken products often come pre-browned and may appear cooked but are often raw. Research into outbreaks linked to such products indicates that consumers often do not fully understand the raw nature of the products and may use improper techniques, such as inadequate microwave cooking as opposed to cooking in ovens.

Salmonella is the leading cause of hospitalizations from food poisoning, and poultry accounts for greater than 23 percent of Salmonella infection cases in the US, making this issue a key food safety and public health concern.

The USDA’s new rule restricts the presence of Salmonella in these chicken products

On April 28, 2023, the USDA issued a proposed rule to limit allowable levels of Salmonella in the category of non-ready-to-eat breaded and stuffed chicken products. CSPI and other consumer advocates submitted comments in favor of the proposed rule, arguing that the rule could prevent a substantial proportion of illnesses related to these chicken products.

On May 1, 2024, the USDA announced its finalized rule. The new policy will consider non-ready-to-eat breaded and stuffed chicken products to be “adulterated” under federal law when they contain more than a particular, minimal amount of the bacteria. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service will sample chicken products covered under the rule to ensure that Salmonella levels do not pass the threshold at which the chicken is considered adulterated. The new policy is set to take effect on May 1, 2025.

The rule is a significant step in federal regulation of food contaminants. Moreover, this latest move from the USDA is part of a broader effort by the agency to reduce Salmonella illnesses linked to poultry.

As CSPI Director of Regulatory Affairs Sarah Sorscher stated, “We look forward to the rule being implemented. But, even more so, we look forward to USDA’s new Salmonella strategy reaching the vast majority of the poultry section in the supermarket.”

Read more: Bold USDA move on Salmonella in poultry takes a new approach to reduce rates of infection in people

More work is left to protect consumers from food contaminants

CSPI’s advocacy related to this recent rule from the USDA is just part of CSPI’s efforts to protect consumers from foodborne illness and foster a safer food system. For years, CSPI has urged the USDA to do a better job of controlling Salmonella in poultry, including by asking the agency to prioritize banning certain more dangerous strains or amounts of Salmonella.

CSPI supports policies aimed at keeping our food supply free of dangerous pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria. More broadly, CSPI pushes for policies to keep our food supply free of harmful contaminants, fight antibiotic resistance in the food chain, control and label allergens, and curb the use of synthetic dyes and poorly tested additives.