Foster Farms Salmonella Outbreaks: Why Didn't USDA Do More?

Two outbreaks of salmonella poisoning linked to the nation’s sixth-largest chicken producer, Foster Farms, may have sickened as many as 15,000 people this year — and underscored significant weaknesses in government food safety oversight, a new report finds.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service failed to adequately notify consumers of possible hazards, didn’t demand recalls of potentially tainted chicken parts and allowed poultry producers to continue shipping the meat to stores, despite evidence of contamination, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts released Thursday.

“Based on the available evidence and circumstances, FSIS’s response to both outbreaks was insufficient to protect public health,” the report concluded.

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