• The USDA has withdrawn a proposed rule to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry.
• The decision follows feedback from over 7,000 public comments and concerns regarding economic impacts.
• Health advocates criticize the withdrawal, warning it will lead to more foodborne salmonella infections.
• The USDA highlighted an estimated 1.35 million salmonella infections annually in the U.S.
• Critics fear that reduced regulatory oversight will endanger public health.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Thursday the withdrawal of a proposed rule designed to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry products. This initiative, which had been under development for three years, would have mandated poultry companies to maintain salmonella levels below a specified threshold and to conduct testing for six strains most closely associated with foodborne illness. If any of those strains were detected or if salmonella levels were exceeded, the affected poultry would have been removed from sale and subject to recall, according to HuffPost and CBS News.

The USDA justified the withdrawal by saying they need to further assess the approach to addressing salmonella illnesses in poultry. The agency cited extensive feedback from more than 7,000 public comments as a factor in their decision and noted that they would evaluate whether to update current regulations, according to The Hill and CBS News.

Health advocates expressed strong disappointment over the withdrawal, labeling it a significant setback for food safety. Sandra Eskin, a former USDA official, criticized the action as indicative of a broader lack of concern for public health, stating that it shows "the Make America Healthy Again initiative does not care about the thousands of people who get sick from preventable foodborne salmonella infections linked to poultry." This sentiment was echoed by food safety supporters who view the proposed rule as critical to preventing numerous salmonella infections, which the CDC estimates to total approximately 1.35 million annually in the U.S., according to HuffPost and CBS News.

The National Chicken Council supported the withdrawal, asserting that the proposed regulation was "legally unsound". Ashley Peterson, the Council's senior vice president of regulatory affairs, stated the proposed rule could have led to economic burdens without yielding significant public health benefits. They argued that existing regulations should be based on sound science rather than undergoing what they perceived as unnecessary regulatory changes, according to CBS News and The Hill.

The USDA’s decision comes against a backdrop of significant scrutiny following reported salmonella outbreaks across multiple states, raising concerns about the health implications of less regulatory oversight. Brian Ronholm, from Consumer Reports, termed the decision "disappointing and troubling," emphasizing the increased risk of salmonella outbreaks that could endanger consumers, according to The Hill and HuffPost.