USDA Withdraws a Proposed Rule to Cut Salmonella in Raw Chicken

livewell
April 25, 2025
Noah Bennett

Last year, the USDA, under the Biden administration, proposed a rule to reduce salmonella in raw chicken. In a rare policy shift, the agency has withdrawn its proposal under the current Trump administration. The reason behind this withdrawal is the unfavorable response from the public and opposition from the poultry industry. The poultry regulations would have imposed limits on Salmonella in raw poultry chicken and turkey.

Response from the Poultry Industry

The poultry industry had opposed this proposed rule as it would require the industry to keep the levels of Salmonella bacteria in poultry under a limit. The rule would require them to check six disease-causing strains of the germs, three each in chicken and turkey. The industry considered it unscientific, which would result in more cost and food waste. The representatives of the National Chicken Council, however, welcomed this decision.

Council’s Official Statement

Ashley Peterson, the senior vice president of the council’s science and regulatory affairs, considered the initial rule unscientific and unnecessary. He mentioned in statement, “We remain committed to further reducing salmonella and fully support food safety regulations and policies that are based on sound science.”

Opposition from Public Health Groups

Several food safety advocates criticized this decision by considering it against the public health. Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official who drafted the initial plan, criticized the policy of the Trump administration. In her statement, she argued that the backoff “sends the clear message that the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry.”

CSPINET Official Statement

Sarah Sorscher of the NGO Center for Science in the Public Interest also expressed her sentiments. She also hinted at the policy of the new government by saying, “Make no mistake: Shipping more salmonella to restaurants and grocery stores is certain to make Americans sicker.”

Contamination of Poultry - A Serious Threat

The recent action by the USDA has pleased the poultry industry, but compromised raw chicken safety. According to estimates, the abandoned rule could have prevented 125,000 chicken-related and 40,000 turkey-related Salmonella cases annually.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) estimates that Salmonella through food sources causes 1.35 million infections and several deaths each year. After the recent decision, the entire burden to control bacteria will be on post-contamination measures instead of focusing on its prevention.

USDA Food Safety Approach

The USDA has shifted its approach towards food safety after the arrival of the new administration. The apparent reason is that the Trump administration is under the influence of powerful food industries.

In January 2025, the Meat Institutes, which represents meat and poultry processors, had appealed to President Trump to withdraw this proposed rule as it would prove “costly and burdensome”. They asked to replace it with a different proposal.

Now, the USDA has said that the previous proposal was ineffective, and they will try to find better ways to control the pathogen after more consideration. This statement clarifies that the pressure from the food industry has at least some role in this withdrawal.