(NAFB.com) – The USDA announced its new regulatory framework in an effort it says would help reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products.

“We support the need to develop science-based approaches that will impact public health, but this is being done backward,” says Dr. Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “The agency is formulating regulatory policies and drawing conclusions before gathering data, much less analyzing it, which is called speculation.”

The NCC says the facts show that the Centers for Disease Control and FSIS’s own data demonstrate progress and clear reductions in Salmonella in U.S. chicken products. “Increased consumer education about proper handling and cooking of raw meat must be part of any framework going forward,” Peterson says. “Proper handling and cooking of poultry is the last step, not the first, that will help eliminate any risk of foodborne illness. We’ll do our part to promote safety.”