The testing data of selected raw meat and poultry products for Salmonella from January to March 2006 have been released by the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The results show a slight decrease in all categories, except for ground beef analyzed for Salmonella in the PR/HACCP verification-testing program, according to an American Meat Institute news release.

FSIS warns that an increase of testing frequency in establishments with process-control problems may demonstrate an increase in Salmonella-positive results.

Absent from this release are data for turkey carcasses. Sampling was initiated in June 2006 and initial data will begin appearing in the next quarterly report.