Salmonella in Pork Barbecue With Vinegar and Pepper-based Sauce
Pork barbecue with vinegar and pepper-based sauce accounted for 23 percent of all samples of ready-to-eat meats that tested positive for Salmonella between 2005 and 2010, according to a recent study by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
No known illnesses have been associated with these products, but the high rate of incidence has the agency concerned. In a notice issued September 6, it ordered inspectors to meet with mangers of all plants that produce such products to make them aware of the study’s findings. Inspectors have also been instructed to review the safety of ingredients that are added to these products after the meat has been cooked.
Although the source of Salmonella in these products is not clear, one possibility is contaminated ingredients, such as the pepper or other spices in the sauce, that are added to the cooked and processes meat, the agency stated in a notice it released about the study.
“During processing of these products, the pork was cooked first, and the barbecue sauce was added after the cooking step. The lack of a lethality treatment for the sauce or its ingredients (e.g. pepper or other spices) could result in contamination of the final product,” the notice stated.
Until the notice expires Oct 1. 2012, members of the agency’s Risk, Innovations, and Management Division will work with the Data Analysis and Integration Group to review actions taken by establishments that test positive for Salmonella, to ensure that hazards have been addressed.
Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FSISNotices/48-11.pdf
