Plan Guides Agency Efforts to Lead with Science in Tackling Foodborne Pathogens

September 22, 2020 — 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Food Safety (OFS) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have released a plan to decrease Salmonella, one of the leading causes of foodborne illnesses. The Roadmap to Reducing Salmonella: Driving Change through Science-Based Policy outlines programs and policies that are science-based, data-driven, and promote innovation to reduce Salmonella in meat, poultry, and egg products. [Source: USDA FSIS 18 September 2020]

"This roadmap represents FSIS' commitment to lead with science and data in all that we do. It puts us on a course to aggressively target Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens," said USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears. "I look forward to continued partnership with the food safety community in driving a science-based approach to protecting public health."

The roadmap is available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/FSISRoadmaptoReducingSalmonella.

OFS and FSIS discussed the Salmonella roadmap at a virtual public meeting September 22. Also participating in the meeting were USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The public meeting continued Under Secretary Brashears' vision of building relationships, influencing behavior change, and leading with science to enhance food safety.

AASV representatives attended the Sept. 22 public meeting. USDA FSIS is accepting comments on the Salmonella roadmap and on the science that drives FSIS' Salmonella reduction efforts. Interested parties can still submit written comments on or before October 16, 2020 at: http://www.regulations.gov . If you have comments you would like to include in a response from AASV, please email Abbey Canon at canon@aasv.org.