Soon, chicken producers in the U.S. will have to follow tougher rules to lower the chances of salmonella contamination in certain chicken products. Starting in 2025, a new rule will treat salmonella like a harmful substance in frozen breaded and stuffed raw chicken items, similar to how certain E. coli bacteria are handled in ground beef. This means chicken products with too much salmonella cannot be sold and might have to be taken off shelves. Salmonella is a big problem, causing lots of sickness and even deaths each year in the U.S., mainly from tainted food. These specific chicken products have been linked to many salmonella outbreaks over time, despite efforts to teach people how to cook them safely. This rule is seen as an important move toward making broader rules about salmonella, which could involve more testing at processing plants and stricter checks during production. Some in the industry worry about losing jobs and not having as much product available, but supporters say these actions are long overdue and needed to keep people healthy.

Similar rules have been put in place before to deal with E. coli in ground beef, and they have really helped reduce how many people get sick from it. Food safety advocates are excited about this new rule because they see it as a big step in making sure food is safer for everyone. By having stricter rules and keeping a closer eye on things, this regulation aims to lower the risk of E. coli in ground beef.