Latest news with #BrianRonholm
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
USDA Rolls Back Biden-Era Plans to Limit Salmonella in Raw Poultry
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.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
USDA pulls rule to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Thursday it is withdrawing a Biden-era proposed rule that would limit salmonella levels in raw poultry. The rule would have required corporations to test contamination levels in chicken and poultry infected with strains tied to the meat-borne disease. If poultry plants reported significant bacteria detected, the stock would risk being pulled from store shelves and be subject to a recall under the proposed rule. USDA officials said they pulled the rule due to concerns submitted during the public comment period. 'While FSIS [Food Safety and Inspection Service] continues to support the goal of reducing Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products, the Agency believes that the comments have raised several important issues that warrant further consideration,' the agency wrote in its notification on the Federal Register. The USDA said the legal authority to control final product standards was questioned by critics in addition to the economic impact of additional regulation. However, the Trump administration's shift away from regulatory framework comes months after a massive outbreak across nine states last year, followed by another flare in March. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year. 'The USDA's decision is disappointing and troubling given the large number of poultry plants that have been found to pose a higher risk of triggering a Salmonella outbreak,' Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement to The Hill. 'Combined with recent staff and budget cuts, the delay in the implementation of the food traceability rule, and the elimination of critical food safety advisory committees, the administration is sending the message that consumers will be on their own when it comes to protecting their families from foodborne illness,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
25-04-2025
- Health
- The Hill
USDA pulls rule to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Thursday they are withdrawing a Biden-era proposed rule that would limit salmonella levels in raw poultry. The rule would have required corporations to test contamination levels in chicken and poultry infected with strains tied to the meat-borne disease. If poultry plants reported that significant bacteria were detected, the stock would risk being pulled from store shelves and subject to a recall under the proposed rule. USDA officials said they pulled the rule due to concerns submitted during the public comment period. 'While FSIS [Food Safety and Inspection Service] continues to support the goal of reducing Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products, the Agency believes that the comments have raised several important issues that warrant further consideration,' the agency wrote in their notification on the Federal Register. The USDA said the legal authority to control final product standards was questioned by critics in addition to the economic impact of additional regulation. However, the Trump administration's shift away from regulatory framework comes months after a massive outbreak across 9 states last year, followed by another flare in March. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that Salmonella causes about 1.35 million infections in the United States every year. 'The USDA's decision is disappointing and troubling given the large number of poultry plants that have been found to pose a higher risk of triggering a Salmonella outbreak,' Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said in a statement to The Hill. 'Combined with recent staff and budget cuts, the delay in the implementation of the food traceability rule, and the elimination of critical food safety advisory committees, the administration is sending the message that consumers will be on their own when it comes to protecting their families from foodborne illness,' he added.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Trump administration's approach to food safety continues to be tough to swallow
New safeguards related to food safety were poised to take effect in January 2026, but as The New York Times reported, that's apparently no longer going to happen. The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that it would delay by 30 months a requirement that food companies and grocers rapidly trace contaminated food through the supply chain and pull it off the shelves. Intended to 'limit food-borne illness and death,' the rule required companies and individuals to maintain better records to identify where foods are grown, packed, processed or manufactured. The Times quoted Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, saying, 'This decision is extremely disappointing and puts consumers at risk of getting sick from unsafe food because a small segment of the industry pushed for delay, despite having 15 years to prepare.' Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, added, 'This is a huge step backward for food safety.' Making matters worse is that it's not the only step backward for food safety that the Trump administration has taken lately. The day before the Times published the aforementioned report, the newspaper ran a related article that noted, 'At the Food and Drug Administration, freezes on government credit card spending ordered by the Trump administration have impeded staff members from buying food to perform routine tests for deadly bacteria. In states, a $34 million cut by the F.D.A. could reduce the number of employees who ensure that tainted products — like tin pouches of lead-laden applesauce sold in 2023 — are tested in labs and taken off store shelves.' The same article went on to note that at Trump's Agriculture Department, 'a committee studying deadly bacteria was recently disbanded, even as it was developing advice on how to better target pathogens that can shut down the kidneys. Committee members were also devising an education plan for new parents on bacteria that can live in powdered infant formula.' This came on the heels of multiple reports that the Trump administration disbanded two federal committees tasked with advising policymakers on food safety, the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection. Alas, the list keeps going. The Times also reported that the administration has 'slowed or stopped some testing of grocery items for hazardous bacteria and monitoring of shellfish and food packaging for PFAS, chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm.' What's more, the Department of Health and Human Services recently sent out emails asking most of its workforce to consider an offer to quit their jobs in exchange for $25,000. The list included food inspection workers at the FDA — of which there are already too few. And did I mention that the administration appointed Donald Trump Jr.'s hunting buddy to serve to the FDA's Human Foods Program, overseeing all nutrition and food safety activities? Because that happened, too. There is some good news, however: These developments should only matter to Americans who eat food. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts Warn of Public Health Risks as the Trump Administration Eliminates 2 Critical Food Safety Committees
The Trump administration has officially eliminated several food safety committees, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI). Both were cut through the Executive Order titled "Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy." As the order stated, it eliminates offices and committees that the "President has determined are unnecessary." 'The termination of these two important advisory committees is very alarming and should serve as a warning to consumers that food safety will not be a priority at USDA in the foreseeable future," Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, shared in a statement provided to Food & Wine. "These expert panels provide impartial scientific advice and recommendations to USDA, FDA, and the CDC on public health issues related to food safety in the U.S. The failure to recognize and leverage the value of this scientific expertise is dangerous and irresponsible.' According to Food Safety magazine, prior to this elimination, the NACMCF had been working to develop guidance on addressing the increase in deadly foodborne illnesses. The committee was also recently tasked with reviewing the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Services' (FSIS) "regulatory approach for Listeria monocytogenes, prompted by the fatal listeriosis outbreak linked to Boar's Head deli meats," which occurred in 2024. Related: These Foods Will Likely Get More Expensive After Trump's Tariffs Take Effect Food Safety also explained that the recent NACMPI meetings focused on "USDA-FSIS' definitions for establishment sizes and use of inspection technology," as well as how the FSIS could enhance its communications with "underserved communities" and "ensuring compliance with food safety regulations. The NACMCF notes on its website, which likely won't be live for long, that it "provides impartial scientific advice and recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other government agencies on microbiological and public health issues relative to the safety of the U.S. food supply." Food Safety magazine added that the NACMPI was established to advise the "Secretary of Agriculture on matters affecting federal and state inspection program activities." The NACMPI website adds that the committee's purpose was "to provide advice to the Secretary concerning meat, poultry, food safety and other matters that fall within the scope of the FMIA and PPIA." The two committees would be advising the new Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, and the HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy of each committee included scientists and researchers from various universities around the U.S., as well as members of Consumer Reports, the USDA, the Department of Defense, and the Centers for Disease Control and National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) is a key scientific advisory group that helps shape U.S. food safety policy through expert recommendations. Established in 1988, it brings together multiple federal agencies to address microbiological hazards in the food supply. Its guidance strengthens the food safety programs of the USDA, FDA, CDC, and other agencies, ensuring a coordinated approach to protecting public health. By providing impartial, science-based advice, NACMCF plays a critical role in reducing foodborne illness risks and improving regulatory standards. USDA National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) advises the Secretary of Agriculture on food safety policies affecting USDA and other regulatory agencies. It identifies key consumer and policy concerns, assigns issues to subcommittees for in-depth analysis, and provides science-based recommendations to improve meat and poultry inspection programs. By facilitating expert discussions and public participation, NACMPI helps shape effective food safety regulations and White House has yet to make a statement about these eliminations. However, Food & Wine was provided a copy of the email sent to members of the NACMCF by Dr. Kristal Southern, a scientific liaison with the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and the designated federal officer for one of its advisory groups, the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for reads in part, "We are incredibly thankful for your contributions to NACMCF. Per the discussion today, we learned that NACMCF will be terminated, and all committee work will stop, effective immediately." This, Southern noted, is due to the Executive Order Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, which was signed by the President. The email added that, effective immediately, any further work or recommendations by the committees are "prohibited," and their permissions and access to the "National Agriculture Library Digitop System will be removed." Related: If You Think Food Prices Are High Now, Trump's Tariffs Could Make Them Even Worse "We are aware that stopping the work at this point means that the agencies may not receive the reports and recommendations that you all have been working on for the last year and a half," Southern added. "Although committee work has been suspended at times, this is our first experience with a termination in the middle of a term. We are seeking guidance on if the drafts, as they are today, can still be provided to the respective agencies to use without referencing NACMCF." Southern noted that this was not the decision they hoped for and that "it does not take away from the great contributions to food safety and public health that this committee has made. We are still working through the actions to complete the termination process and may not have all the answers, but we are happy to entertain any questions you may have." She added, "It TRULY has been an honor to work with and learn from each of you, and I hope you are very proud of your work." Read the original article on Food & Wine
