USDA data shows persistent Salmonella Contamination in major poultry plants
Five years of inspection data reveal high salmonella rates in plants supplying major U.S. poultry brands.
USA – A new analysis by Farm Forward of U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection records from the past five years finds repeated violations of federal salmonella limits in large poultry facilities.
The report highlights that plants supplying well-known brands, including Foster Farms, Costco, and Perdue, regularly surpass the USDA’s maximum allowable salmonella levels.
Lincoln Premium Poultry, which provides chicken to Costco, exceeded USDA contamination thresholds in 54 out of 59 inspections, according to the analysis.
Farm Forward identified several facilities as “worst offenders,” with some failing every single inspection conducted over the five-year period, totaling 60 consecutive failures.
Current USDA standards permit up to 25 percent of ground chicken, 13.5 percent of ground turkey, 15.4 percent of chicken parts, and 9.8 percent of whole chickens to test positive for salmonella without triggering any enforcement actions.
Salmonella contamination in poultry is not legally classified as an adulterant, unlike E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef, leaving regulators limited in how they can act against unsafe products.
In May 2019, Marler Clark submitted a petition urging the USDA to classify 31 strains of salmonella as adulterants in meat and poultry, and the formal submission followed in January 2020 with support from nonprofits and affected clients.
Despite repeated follow-ups, the USDA did not respond for four years, and in August 2024, the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service proposed the Salmonella Framework for Raw Poultry Products to overhaul contamination regulations.
The proposed framework was withdrawn in April 2025 after the agency received over 7,000 public comments from industry stakeholders, some citing potential economic consequences and regulatory overreach.
Farm Forward notes that the withdrawal leaves the USDA unable to enforce stricter limits, which could allow salmonella-contaminated poultry to continue reaching consumers.
Experts warn that the current regulatory approach, combined with permitted contamination thresholds, means that salmonella exposure remains a widespread risk in the U.S. poultry supply.
The report’s findings have reignited debate about the need for stricter federal standards and whether salmonella should be treated as an adulterant to enhance food safety.
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