Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a new comprehensive plan to boost USDA’s efforts to combat foodborne illness. She spoke during the opening of USDA’s new, modernized Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory in Missouri.
The plan will better position USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is responsible for ensuring meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled, to protect the nation’s food supply. The plan includes steps like enhancing microbiological testing and inspection oversight.
USDA will also equip FSIS Inspectors with updated training and tools, empower those inspectors to take action to drive compliance, strengthen state partnerships, and find a more effective and achievable approach to address salmonella in poultry products.
“We’re charting a new course in giving consumers confidence that their meat, poultry, and egg products meet the best-in-class food safety standards,” Rollins said. “I look forward to continued collaboration with states and food producers to protect public health.”
“America’s chicken producers appreciate USDA’s common sense and science-based approach to achieving improvements in food safety,” said Dr. Ashley Peterson, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the National Chicken Council. “We share the department’s goals to further reduce foodborne illnesses and promote public health, with an emphasis on reducing regulatory burdens.”
NCC also applauded USDA for withdrawing earlier this year the proposed Salmonella regulations that were introduced by the Biden administration.
“As it was proposed based on misinterpretation of the science, it would have had no meaningful impact on public health, would have led to an extraordinary amount of food waste, and increased costs for consumers and producers,” Peterson added. “We thank the Secretary for her leadership and the agency’s commitment to finding a more effective and achievable plan to combat salmonella in U.S. poultry products.”
