"Get the S*%! Out of Chicken" campaign to declare Salmonella an adulterant in Chicken.

SEATTLE, May 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bill Marler, the nation's leading food safety attorney, has launched a campaign for Salmonella policy reform with t-shirts stating, "Get the S*%! Out of Chicken." Currently, there are no food policies or regulations in the United States that prohibit the presence of Salmonella in poultry. To compel food safety leaders to make bold changes to policy in this area, Marler sent t-shirts to the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS) and the National Chicken Council. He is also making the t-shirts available at upcoming food safety conferences.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause approximately 1.35 million human infections and 26,500 hospitalizations in the United States every year. Of those infections, over 23% are attributed to poultry consumption. Foodborne illness can have a devastating impact, both personally and financially, on people's lives, the cost of which reverberates through the economy. Data from USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) show the total cost for foodborne Salmonella infections in the United States is a staggering $4.1 billion annually and the cost for the loss of productivity to the economy is $88 million. These are real costs to real people that can and should be prevented.

Marler points out that when Americans bring chicken into their homes, "it is likely teeming with Salmonella that the manufacturer – with the USDA stamp of approval – can knowing sell that is tainted with a pathogen that sickens over a million people a year."

"The USDA/FSIS have the authority to deem Salmonella and other pathogens adulterants – they just need to use it, "stated Marler. "Personally, I think that anything that can poison or kill a person should be an adulterant. Ignoring Salmonella in chicken makes no sense," said Marler.

The USDA/FSIS recently released a proposed rule to declare Salmonella an adulterant in breaded stuffed raw chicken products when they exceed a low level of Salmonella contamination. This announcement is a first step that builds on FSIS' proposed regulatory framework to reduce Salmonella infections linked to chicken products. "It is a baby step, but it is a step," added Marler.

For more information on why Salmonella should be an adulterant, visit Marler Blog.

About Bill Marler: An accomplished attorney and national expert in food safety, William (Bill) Marler has become the most prominent foodborne illness lawyer in America and a major force in food policy in the U.S. and around the world. Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, has represented thousands of individuals in claims against food companies whose contaminated products have caused life altering injury and even death.

SOURCE Marler Clark, The Nation's Food Safety Law Firm