The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that it would be increasing inspections at meat plants in response to a series of listeria outbreaks earlier this year. These outbreaks revealed significant safety deficiencies at food processing facilities, prompting the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to take action.
In fiscal year 2025, the agency will focus on completing food safety assessments at ready-to-eat meat and poultry facilities that rely solely on sanitation measures to control listeria. Additionally, starting in January 2025, a wider range of listeria species will be tested for in all meat samples. Inspectors will also gather data from facilities weekly to assess specific risk factors and determine if further measures are necessary.
The recent listeria outbreaks have resulted in recalls of millions of pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. One such recall by Yu Shang Food Inc. led to the hospitalization of 17 people and the deaths of two infants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the number of cases linked to the outbreak after discovering a second strain of listeria.
Another major recall was initiated by BrucePac Foods, which recalled over 12 million pounds of processed chicken due to listeria concerns. The lack of traceability made it challenging for the USDA to quickly identify affected products. These incidents prompted FSIS to implement improvements swiftly, including increased oversight at ready-to-eat meat plants, enhanced inspector training, and the establishment of a committee to review regulatory approaches to listeria.
Furthermore, the agency will update its systems to better identify high-risk plants with higher rates of noncompliance related to public health. Dr. Emilio Esteban, USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, emphasized that these changes are essential for strengthening the food safety net and aligning the agency’s practices with the latest scientific knowledge.
