Expedited Response to the Questions Posed by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service To Support Ground Beef Purchase for the Federal Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs

A expedited study timeline by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) to provide recommendations to the US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing service to assist the 2012 to 2013 school year purchase of beef products is presented. Among others, the specific charge to the Committee was to address the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) in considering the elimination of the requirement to test for Staphylococcus aureus from the Federal Purchase Ground Beef Program, and AMS asking NACMCF to provide considerations and scientific discussion regarding the action with respect to public health.