- On June 11, 2026, Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), requesting the release of information about salmonella testing methods for certain chicken products the agency once determined as adequate, but now says are unsatisfactory due to high false-positive rates, especially at low levels of contamination.
- Previously, in 2024, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) initiated efforts to establish enforceable product standards for Salmonella in poultry products, including not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) breaded stuffed chicken, by setting a limit of 1 Colony Forming Units per gram (1 CFU/g) of Salmonella in the source material used for producing the chicken products.
- However, FSIS delayed further verification sampling stating in December 2025 that “current available test methods have accuracy limitations and have resulted in finding false positives, especially at low levels of contamination.” According to Consumer Reports, “this assertion is troubling,” as FSIS previously stated that validated, accurate test methods already exist that detect Salmonella at the regulatory threshold, such as the BioMerieux GENE-UP QUANT Salmonella Test Kit.
- Consumer Reports is now asking USDA to release data that supports the determination that there are inaccuracies associated with the testing methods, with the group alleging that further delays could allow potentially contaminated foods to remain on the market longer, increasing the risk of outbreaks. As of yet, USDA has not published a formal response to the letter.
