WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have called on the Department of Agriculture to develop food safety standards that will significantly reduce the levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken and turkey products.
“We write to urge you to develop strong performance standards for poultry products that will significantly reduce foodborne illnesses and deaths,” the senators wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
“We are very concerned about the current levels of Salmonella and Campylobacter on poultry products, and believe new pathogen standards should reduce these rates of contamination.”
The senators note that several studies have indicated startlingly high rates of the two bacteria in grocery store chicken. One study found 47 percent of chicken breasts tested positive forCampylobacter, another found over 40 percent of ground chicken tested positive for Salmonella.
A Department of Agriculture study also found contamination of poultry parts at levels over 20 percent.
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