US chicken plants may soon be judged on how much salmonella they actually ship

US food safety regulators are proposing new rules that would hold chicken processing plants accountable for the amount of salmonella in their raw poultry products. This means plants could face penalties if their chicken consistently contains too much of the bacteria, shifting the focus from process checks to actual product outcomes.

For decades, regulators focused on whether chicken plants followed the right steps to prevent salmonella. This meant plants could follow all the rules but still ship contaminated chicken. The proposed change means plants will now be judged on what actually comes out the door, forcing them to find new ways to reduce bacteria in the final product. This could lead to significant changes in how chicken is processed and handled before it reaches consumers.