The National Chicken Council (NCC) recently requested a 90-day extension for the public comment period on the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) proposed rule for controlling Salmonella in raw poultry. The NCC cited concerns over the inadequacy of recent FSIS webinars, which were intended to clarify aspects of the proposed framework. According to the NCC, many technical and clarifying questions posed by industry stakeholders during the sessions went unanswered, leaving significant uncertainties about how the proposal would be implemented.
NCC officials emphasized that the industry requires more time to thoroughly analyze the rule and provide detailed feedback. The association believes that additional time would allow the industry to engage more effectively and ensure that its input meaningfully contributes to the final version of the framework. The request comes after FSIS had already extended the comment period to November 2024, but stakeholders, including members of Congress, are pushing for further extensions to ensure the rule is fully understood before it is implemented.
