CRYING FOWL

USDA Rolls Back Biden-Era Plans to Limit Salmonella in Raw Poultry

“The message they seem to be sending to consumers is: you’re on your own,” says Consumer Reports.

The Agriculture Department has scrapped a Biden-era proposal to limit salmonella in raw chicken and turkey products, saying it would be an “overwhelming burden” on small producers. Food safety experts are crying fowl over the decision—“The message they seem to be sending to consumers is: you’re on your own,” said Brian Ronholm of Consumer Reports. The policy, which had yet to come into effect, would have blocked the sale of meat contaminated with the bacteria that makes 1.3 million Americans sick each year. The National Chicken Council crowed about the cost of the measure, calling it “legally unsound,” but consumer advocates argue they just couldn’t be bothered to impose the rule. “It was just an effort they weren’t willing to make,” Sarah Sorscher from the Center for Science in the Public Interest said. The USDA insists the move will have no impact on food safety. Guess we’ll all just have to wing it.