USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is extending the comment period on the proposed determination titled Salmonella in Not-Ready-To-Eat Breaded Stuffed Chicken Products. Published on April 28, 2023, the deadline for comments was originally June 27, 2023, but has been extended 30 days until July 27, 2023.

As announced in the April 25, 2023, FSIS published a proposed determination to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products when they exceed a very low level of Salmonella contamination.

“FSIS is extending the comment period in response to requests from industry associations for additional time to determine and formulate comments on the impact of the proposal,” the agency said.

Comments may be submitted online via the federal eRulemaking portal, available at http://www.regulations.gov; by mail sent to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700, or by hand or courier delivery to 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, Washington, DC 20250-3700. All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the agency name and docket number FSIS-2022-0013.

USDA believes the proposed determination is “a significant first step” toward reducing Salmonella infections linked to poultry products, but the National Chicken Council (NCC) says the change has the potential “to shutter processing plants, cost jobs, and take safe food and convenient products off shelves, without moving the needle on public health.”

Related:NCC gravely concerned with new FSIS Salmonella regulation

As the products often appear ready to eat, but contain raw chicken, NCC said it recognizes their nature raises special considerations that merit additional attention. However, it says millions of dollars have been invested and decades of work has been dedicated to developing and refining best practices for these products to reduce Salmonella and protect public health.

These efforts have been paying off, the groups says, as demonstrated by a significant decline in illnesses over the past seven years.