US turkey producers must step up bird flu testing, USDA says

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging poultry producers to increase testing and monitoring of turkeys for bird flu to prevent the virus from entering the food supply. The mandatory isolation, monitoring, and testing of flocks of over 500 birds within 72 hours of slaughter are being implemented in Minnesota and South Dakota, with possible expansion to other states. This measure is voluntary but supported by states and the industry. The new measures are a response to a cat food recall and an instance of a cat dying from bird flu after eating contaminated food, as well as human cases of bird flu. The USDA's actions aim to limit the spread of the virus and restore consumer and trading partner trust.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. poultry producers should step up testing and monitoring of turkeys for bird flu before they are slaughtered to ensure the virus stays out of the food supply, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said. The agency is recommending enhanced safety measures in Minnesota and South Dakota, where turkey flocks of more than 500 birds must be isolated, monitored and tested for avian flu within 72 hours of going to slaughter, the USDA said. Other states may be added later, the agency added. “The new policy is encouraged and supported by states and industry, but is not mandatory,” USDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Cole said in an email. The changes come after a pet food company, Northwest Naturals, last month recalled cat food made with turkey because it tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture said a cat contracted the disease and died after eating Northwest Naturals’ Feline Turkey Recipe frozen raw food ...