The USDA has decided to withdraw a proposed rule that would have required poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria levels in their products, which was part of a Biden Administration effort to reduce food poisoning. This decision came after taking into consideration over 7,000 public comments, and the USDA plans to evaluate whether to update current salmonella regulations. The proposal aimed to significantly reduce salmonella infections from poultry, which the CDC reports cause a substantial number of illnesses and deaths annually. While the withdrawal was praised by industry groups like the National Chicken Council for avoiding increased costs and food waste, it faced criticism from food safety advocates for potentially endangering public health. Additionally, the USDA has postponed the enforcement of a rule regulating salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products until November 3.

The USDA's withdrawn plan aimed to enforce a rule requiring poultry companies to maintain salmonella bacteria below certain levels and test for six specific strains associated with illnesses, with the goal of reducing salmonella infections from poultry significantly.

Feedback from over 7,000 public comments influenced the USDA's decision to withdraw the plan, with officials considering whether to update existing salmonella regulations instead.

The National Chicken Council praised the withdrawal, arguing that the proposed rule was legally unsound, misinterpreted science, and would have increased costs and food waste without improving public health outcomes.

Critics, including food safety advocates, expressed concern that the withdrawal could lead to more cases of foodborne salmonella infections, as similar past regulations had significantly improved food safety, citing the ban on certain E. coli strains from ground beef in 1994.

Salmonella infections remain a significant public health issue, with the CDC estimating 1.35 million infections and 420 deaths annually, most of which are food-related.

The USDA also announced a delay in enforcing a final rule on salmonella levels in certain breaded and stuffed raw chicken products, such as frozen chicken cordon bleu, moving the enforcement date to November 3.

These breaded and stuffed chicken products have been linked to at least 14 salmonella outbreaks and over 200 illnesses since 1998, highlighting the ongoing challenge of managing salmonella risks in poultry products.