The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says its inspectors will continue to test for Salmonella in meat grinding plants, and won't hesitate to shut down plants that don't meet food safety standards. The announcement follows a recent U.S. Court of Appeals decision limiting USDA's power to enforce salmonella performance standards.
In Supreme Beef Processors, Inv. v. USDA, the Fifth Circuit Court limited the agency's enforcement power, but not the department's ability to use the standards as a way to measure the effectiveness of food safety programs within plants. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said she does not believe the ruling would prevent USDA from closing any plant "that does not meet the statutory and regulatory requirements of the law for processing meat and poultry."