FSIS uses what time frame to evaluate percent positive for Salmonella or Campylobacter in poultry operations?

• A. 52-week moving window
• B. 4-week rolling average
• C. 12-month calendar year
• D. 2-year period

Answer: (A)

The method hinges on tracking performance with a rolling time frame rather than a single point in time. For poultry operations, FSIS evaluates the percent positive for Salmonella or Campylobacter using the trailing 52 weeks of data. That means all samples collected in the last year are combined to compute the positive rate, and this window moves forward each week as new data come in. This approach smooths out short-term swings and seasonal effects, giving a stable, ongoing picture of how well the plant is controlling these pathogens over time.

Using a 52-week moving window helps teammates detect genuine improvement or decline without being misled by a single week’s result. A 4-week rolling average would be overly sensitive to short-term fluctuations, a fixed 12-month calendar year introduces artificial cutoffs, and a 2-year period would be too slow to reflect current performance.