The Food Safety and Inspection Service proposed to declare Salmonella an adulterant in several poultry meat categories when present above a threshold level. The proposed rule and determination would treat Salmonella as an adulterant in raw chicken carcasses, chicken parts, ground chicken and ground turkey if (1) any type was present above 10 colony forming units (CFU), or (2) certain specified serotypes were present at any detectable level.

The serotypes targeted are Enteritidis, Typhimurium and 1,4,[5],12:1:­­– for chicken, and Hadar, Typhimurium and Muenchen for turkey.

This is not the first time FSIS has declared Salmonella an adulterant in poultry. Earlier this year, the agency made such a declaration for raw breaded stuffed chicken products above 1 CFU.

The National Chicken Council opposed the new proposed rule on the grounds that it “has the potential to significantly raise the price of chicken at a time when Americans are dealing with inflation in every part of their lives,” POLITICO reported. But Consumer Reports told POLITICO that FSIS’ actions constitute “a momentous and significant step toward protecting consumers from harmful Salmonella bacteria.”