The government believes, the new standards announced by the US Agriculture Department (USDA) Monday for reducing salmonella and campylobacter levels in poultry, if successful would prevent an estimated 65,000 illnesses each year.

According to USDA, stricter performance standards would hold slaughterhouses more accountable by reducing the incidence of food-borne illnesses in young chickens and turkeys. The new standards, whereby a percentage would be set for sampled poultry to test positive for a specific pathogen, and which must be achieved by any establishment. Under the new standards, only 7.5% of chicken carcasses at a plant would be allowed to test positive for salmonella, down from 20% allowed since 1996.

The proposal is open to public comment for 60 days, which USDA said will avoid 39,000 illnesses each year under the new campylobacter standards and 26,000 under the revised salmonella standards, two years, hence.

Obama’s administration, consumer groups and Congress have been called upon to overhaul the antiquated food supply, following the US food supply being battered by a series of outbreaks involving lettuce, peppers, peanuts and spinach in recent years.

Many firms, such as, Kellogg Co. that lost nearly $70 million in products from the peanut recall, including ConAgra Foods are amongst the affected.

The food reform legislation was passed by the House last July, however the bill has been held up in the Senate due to work on the healthcare and financial regulatory reform, but is expected to be passed within the next few months.

Last year, a food safety working group organised by the Obama administration has issued several recommendations for reducing levels of food-borne illnesses.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 76 million people fall sick from food born illnesses, with 5,000 dying from it in the United States, every year. Salmonella can cause diarrheoa, abdominal cramps and fever and can be life-threatening, especially for pregnant women, babies and the elderly.

Campylobacter causes diarrheoa, cramping, abdominal pain and fever, with the CDC estimating campylobacter infects 2.4 million Americans every year, killing 124.