USDA withdraws proposed rule aimed at reducing salmonella

David Matthews, New York Daily News on Apr 24, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is withdrawing a rule proposed by the Biden administration last year that aimed to reduce salmonella in chicken and curb the sale of contaminated chicken.

The new rule would have led to “significant financial and operational burdens on American businesses and consumers,” the Agriculture Department said on Thursday.

On top of creating new safety standards to stop the sale of raw chicken and chicken parts with salmonella, the new rule also would have overhauled safety procedures and testing in slaughterhouses to prevent contamination.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes foodborne illness, with about 1.35 million infections a year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The decision by the Trump administration to repeal that proposal will let poultry processors continue to ship raw chicken and turkey even after products test positive for high levels of the most dangerous strains of Salmonella,” Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement.

Last month — the Food and Drug Administration, which inspects and sets safety standards for medications, medical devices and foods — fired 3,500 workers.

_____