CBS News
Poultry producers must reduce salmonella levels in certain frozen chicken products, USDA says
Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U.S. agriculture officials.
When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be considered an adulterant — a contaminant that can cause foodborne illness — when it is detected above certain levels in frozen breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. That would include things like frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating.
It’s the first time the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared salmonella as an adulterant in raw poultry in the same way that certain E. coli bacteria are regarded as contaminants that must be kept out of raw ground beef sold in grocery stores, said Sandra Eskin, the USDA’s undersecretary for food safety.
The new rule also means that if a product exceeds the allowed level of salmonella, it can’t be sold and is subject to recall, Eskin said.
Salmonella poisoning accounts for more than 1.3 million infections and about 420 deaths each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food is the source of most of those illnesses.
Earlier this month, Trader Joe’s pulled certain packaged fresh basil from its shelves in 29 states after a salmonella outbreak left 12 people sickened. The recall was expanded last week to include another brand of packaged fresh basil sold at Dierbergs stores in Illinois and Missouri.
But breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been associated with at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and at least 200 illnesses since 1998, CDC statistics show. A 2021 outbreak tied to the products caused at least three dozen illnesses in 11 states and sent 12 people to the hospital.
Despite changes to labels emphasizing that the products needed to be thoroughly cooked, consumers continued to fall ill, Eskin said.
“Sometimes the salmonella is very virulent,” she said.
Foundation for broader regulation
Addressing a narrow category of poultry products lays the foundation for a new framework to regulate salmonella more broadly now being considered by federal officials, said Mike Taylor, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration official in charge of food safety.
Among other things, the proposal calls for greater testing for salmonella in poultry entering a processing plant, stricter monitoring during production and targeting three types of salmonella that cause a third of all illnesses.
“It’s no question that moving down this path toward regulating salmonella as an adulterant is way overdue,” Taylor said.
Poultry industry officials have long said that the government already has tools to ensure product safety and that companies have invested in methods to reduce salmonella in raw chicken.
A representative for the National Chicken Council said officials had not seen the final rule. However, the trade group said in a statement it’s concerned the regulation represents an abrupt policy shift and that it “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.”
The USDA took similar action with E. coli bacteria in 1994 after deadly outbreaks of food poisoning tied to ground beef, and the number of related foodborne illnesses have fallen by more than 50%.
Seattle food safety lawyer Bill Marler — who represented clients in a deadly 1993 E. coli outbreak in fast-food hamburgers and has lobbied for broader changes in controlling salmonella — said the new regulation is a good first step.
“Setting a standard is going to force the industry to adjust,” he said.
Spirit Airlines, the airline of choice for many budget travelers, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, raising questions about the viability of no-frills airlines in the post-pandemic era, as consumer preferences shift toward more premium offerings.
Customers with plans to fly on the airline over Thanksgiving and beyond are also concerned about what the filing means for their upcoming trips, as well as airfares generally.
Spirit has entered into a restructuring agreement with its bondholders in order to reduce the airline’s debt and provide it with increased financial flexibility, Spirit said in an open letter to customers Monday. The longterm aim, Spirit said, is to provide its guests “with enhanced travel experiences and greater value.”
The airline, known for its bargain fares, said it expects to emerge from bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2025, “even better positioned to deliver the best value in the sky.”
Industry experts attribute Spirit’s financial woes in part to changing consumer preferences as they demand more amenities while flying.
“We can clearly see that consumer preferences have changed in favor of a more premium product, and the low-cost airlines are struggling,” Jungho Suh, management professor at George Washington University School of Business told CBS MoneyWatch. “They don’t want to see any added costs, they want an all-in, full-service offering.”
What if I am booked on a Spirit flight?
Spirit plainly states that customers with existing reservations can still use their tickets. Their flight credits and loyalty points are also still valid, and can be redeemed as usual. Customers may also make new reservations for future travel.
“The most important thing to know is that you can continue to book and fly now and in the future,” the airline said.
Additionally, Spirit customers can still benefit from the airline’s Free Spirit loyalty program, as well as accrue and redeem Saver$ Club perks and credit card terms.
Schedule modifications
That said, industry experts advise customers to keep a close eye on their upcoming bookings. That includes updating their contact information so that the airline can reach them with modifications to their flights.
“Make sure your contact information is up to date, and keep an eagle eye on your reservations,” Brian Kelly, founder of The Points Guy — a site focused on airline deals and travel rewards — told CBS MoneyWatch.
There’s no need to panic, Kelly said, but the airline is expected to trim its schedule, which could result in your flight time changing, or being canceled.
“They’re not going to stop flying tomorrow, but inevitably they’re going to emerge an even smaller airline after this process, so that means there are going to be some hiccups with routes,” he said.
Aviation industry consultant Robert Mann said some consumers who were accustomed to flying Spirit out of major airports may have to fly out of a smaller hub, as Spirit withdraws from major hubs served by legacy carriers.
“You could see that happen where Spirit decided to compete, and has now decided it wasn’t such a good idea,” he said.
What will happen to airfares?
Spirit and other low-cost carriers have helped depress airfares, even for consumers who don’t fly on budget airlines.
“Whether you like them or not, having ultra low-cost carriers is good for our overall aviation ecosystem and good for consumers, even if you never buy them,” Kelly said.
Spirit will emerge a smaller airline, which means there will be fewer low-cost flights on most routes, and airfares could rise across the board.
“The smaller Spirit is and the less routes they serve, the less pressure there will be on other airlines in those markets, resulting in overall higher fares,” Kelly said. “This isn’t good for consumers. There’s no positive side to this.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s concerns about the health effects of fluoride may already be helping some Americans — investors in dental services companies.
Shares in Dentsply Sirona, Envista, Henry Schein Patterson Companies, and other providers of dental products are jumping, with Wall Street betting that a potential push by the incoming Trump administration to remove fluoride from the nation’s drinking water could spur demand for the companies’ services.
Kennedy, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said on social media just ahead of the November 5 presidential election that Trump would rid fluoride from the public water supply on his first day in office. Kennedy, a noted vaccine skeptic, has described fluoride as an “industrial waste” and linked it to arthritis, neurological deficiencies in children and other serious health problems.
“The thought here is RFK will bring to HHS a voice that is in favor of reducing, or eliminating, the amount of fluoridation that is added to drinking water,” Don Bilson, Gordon Haskett’s head of event-driven research, told investors in a report, according to NBC News. “This will, in turn, lead to an acceleration of tooth decay and more dental visits.”
Dental experts have largely refuted such claims. Dr. Aaron Yancoskie, associate dean of academic affairs at Touro College of Dental Medicine, told “CBS Mornings Plus” on November 13 that there is “excellent, solid data going back 75 years showing that fluoride is both safe, and it’s extremely effective at decreasing dental decay, that is, cavities, by strengthening the enamel of our teeth.”
According to KFF Health News, some studies have linked fluoride exposure among pregnant women to a higher risk of childhood neurobehavioral problems and lower IQs, leading experts to call for further research.
Fluoride is a mineral that keeps teeth healthy and reduces cavities by protecting them against bacteria that produces potentially damaging acid, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To prevent tooth decay, the U.S. has been adding a small quantity of fluoride to water since the 1950s.
Stocks have surged since Trump won a second term in the White House, with investors buoyed by his pledges during the campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris to cut corporate taxes and eliminate red tape for businesses.
contributed to this report.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
