CFIA requirement reduced salmonella in chicken products: Study

A recent study funded by Public Health Agency of Canada found a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) requirement for frozen breaded chicken products (FBCP) reduced human salmonellosis incidence rate by 23 per cent.

In 2018, a CFIA notice required companies to implement control measures at the manufacturing/processing level to reduce salmonella in FBCP, such as non-intact (i.e. ground, comminuted, chopped, or formed) raw breaded par-fried chicken products (e.g. chicken nuggets and popcorn chicken) for retail only, to below a detectable amount from April 1, 2019. CFIA recommended that companies include a cooking process that has been validated to achieve reduction in salmonella; implement a testing program to demonstrate no detectable salmonella; or utilize a salmonella hold-and-test program for finished products. According to the study, most FBCP manufacturers met the CFIA requirement by installing ovens to fully cook the product before it left the establishment.

The study found that FBCP salmonella prevalence decreased from 28 per cent to 2.9 per cent after the requirement was implemented in 2019.

Click here for the full study.

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