The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has proposed new federal standards to reduce salmonella and campylobacter contamination in poultry products, a move that federal officials say could help prevent about 50,000 illnesses annually.

The proposed testing measures, released Jan. 21, apply to ground chicken and turkey, and chicken legs, breasts and wings, which represent the majority of poultry items that Americans purchase and feed their families, the FSIS said.

The new rules, once finalized, will tighten existing salmonella standards for ground chicken and turkey, and establishes the first-ever salmonella standards for chicken parts and campylobacter standards for ground chicken and turkey, federal officials said. Final standards are expected to be announced this spring.