Slaughter, DeLauro Press USDA to Protect Public Health, Control Spread of Drug Resistant Bacteria

Prior to Meeting of National Task Force on Salmonella, Leaders Urge Action to Save Effectiveness of Antibiotics

WASHINGTON, DC — Ahead of a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) meeting this week on stemming the spread of Salmonella in the nation’s food supply, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) called on the agency to take stronger action to protect public health. In a letter to the chair of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, the representatives urged the USDA to reduce reliance on antibiotics in poultry production and to declare that dangerous multi-drug resistant pathogens are adulterants and their presence should make food subject to recall.

“Recent research from Harvard Medical School has shown that antibiotic resistance also increases bacterial fitness and virulence,” wrote DeLauro and Slaughter. “These observations suggest it is time to reconsider the reliance on antibiotics in the poultry production system and also implement control strategies specifically effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria.”

“One way to do this is to make clear that Salmonella, Campylobacter, and any multidrug resistant pathogens are adulterants and that contaminated products will be subject to recall,” the lawmakers continued.

The USDA’s National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) will meet on Wednesday, September 9, to discuss effective Salmonella control strategies for poultry. The advisory committee will use the meeting to hear from experts on Salmonella control and to gather input on steps to control the spread of the pathogen. The meeting comes in the wake of a 17-month Salmonella outbreak that sickened 600 people. USDA could have stemmed the spread of the outbreak had they acted quickly and forced a recall.

DeLauro and Slaughter have introduced a bill to clarify that USDA has the authority to declare these resistant pathogens as adulterants so they can be recalled—authority that the agency has not yet acted upon. This authority is essential for removing dangerous pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter from the nation’s food supply. The representatives will continue to push USDA to use its authority to protect public health.

To read the full Slaughter/DeLauro letter, click here.

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