September 16, 2025
In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a new five-point plan to bolster the agency’s work combating foodborne illness. The plan was introduced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins at the opening of the USDA’s new Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory in Missouri.
This initiative is part of Trump Administration’s broader efforts to keep the U.S. food supply safe while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens. The plan aims to better position the agency to protect the U.S. food supply and primarily focuses on processes and procedures for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). FSIS is the office responsible for ensuring meat, poultry, and egg products are “safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.”
Details of the plan
USDA’s new initiative has five central pillars:
1. Enhance microbiological testing and inspection oversight
Following multiple recalls for deadly Listeria contamination of meat and poultry products in 2024, the USDA is making additional enhancements to its Listeria testing method to detect a broader set of Listeria species and deliver results faster to regulators. According to the USDA, FSIS has tested more than 23,000 samples for Listeria in the first half of 2025, a more than 200 percent increase in samples from 2024.
The new lab in Missouri will support these efforts with state-of-the-art facilities for product testing and analyzing verification samples for foodborne pathogens and chemical residues. It will also help streamline the FSIS laboratory system.
FSIS also intends to perform more robust, in-person Food Safety Assessments (FSAs), with the goal of more proactively identifying and addressing potential food safety concerns. The agency is prioritizing in-person FSAs at ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry facilities.
2. Equip FSIS inspectors with updated training and tools
FSIS is actively revising its instructions and related training for inspectors to enhance the identification and escalation of problems within a facility’s food safety system. The new instructions focus on teaching inspectors to assess not only individual instances of noncompliance, but also to identify situations where a facility may have broader systemic issues that require further attention.
3. Identify ways to reduce Salmonella illnesses
FSIS has been assigned the responsibility of identifying a more effective and practical strategy to address Salmonella in poultry products. This follows the withdrawal of the Biden Administration’s proposed Salmonella Framework in April after stakeholders raised concerns around the regulatory burden and cost of compliance for small poultry growers and processors. FSIS will convene stakeholder listening sessions to assess alternate approaches that balance protecting public health with reducing overburdensome regulations.
4. Strengthen state partnerships
The USDA has been working to secure sufficient funding from Congress for states’ meat and poultry inspection programs, which have oversight of more than 1,500 businesses. In May, Secretary Rollins announced $14.5 million in additional funding to reimburse states for their inspection programs. The USDA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture to improve collaboration between the agency and states.
Additionally, FSIS signed updated, comprehensive cooperative agreements with all 29 states that operate state meat and poultry programs. These agreements help clarify expectations for oversight and enforcement of food safety regulations, provide comprehensive training for inspectors, and ensure regular coordination with FSIS.
5. Empower FSIS inspectors with greater enforcement discretion
FSIS is increasingly exercising its enforcement authorities, primarily through issuing notices of intended enforcement and suspending operations at facilities to address repeated noncompliance and ensure safe food production. According to the USDA, the agency has taken 103 enforcement actions in the first half of 2025, an increase of 36 percent over the same period in 2024.
Looking ahead
While the measures outlined in the USDA’s five-point plan will serve to enhance food safety, they will also bring increased scrutiny and oversight for food companies, especially those who process RTE meat, poultry, and egg products at their facilities. To prepare for more frequent and in-depth inspections, companies should upgrade their sanitation protocols, ensure that facilities can pass more sensitive tests for Listeria, and maintain rigorous environmental controls.
Companies should also increase their engagement and communications with FSIS to ensure they understand their obligations and are able to promptly address any food safety concerns at their facilities. There will be additional opportunities for the food industry to engage with FSIS on the specifics of the plan, particularly around developing an approach to Salmonella in poultry products, and companies should take advantage of the chance to provide input.
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