In a significant step towards enhancing food safety in the United States, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins recently unveiled a comprehensive strategy during the launch of the USDA’s new, state-of-the-art Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory. This initiative aims to strengthen the efforts of the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in combating foodborne illness, ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe for consumers.
“President Trump is dedicated to guaranteeing that American consumers have access to the safest, most abundant, and affordable food supply globally. USDA is embarking on a transformative approach that ensures consumer confidence in the safety of our food products,” declared Secretary Rollins. “I am excited about our continued collaboration across the administration, states, and food producers from farm to table to mitigate foodborne illnesses and protect public health.”
Key Components of USDA’s Food Safety Strategy
1. Amplifying Microbiological Testing and Inspection
The USDA is advancing its Listeria testing methodologies to facilitate faster results and encompass a wider range of Listeria species. In 2025, FSIS has conducted over 23,000 tests for Listeria, representing a remarkable increase of more than 200% compared to 2024. These efforts will highlight areas within facilities producing Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products that are vulnerable to Listeria monocytogenes.
The newly inaugurated Midwestern Laboratory in Normandy, Missouri, will crucially analyze verification samples for foodborne pathogens, thus enhancing FSIS’s laboratory capabilities. This 70,000 square foot facility is expected to streamline the agency’s laboratory system significantly.
2. Equipping Inspectors with Enhanced Training and Tools
This year, FSIS has introduced a weekly questionnaire for inspectors, designed to gather crucial data regarding Listeria monocytogenes risk factors at RTE establishments. Approximately 53,000 questionnaires have been collected, providing over 840,000 data points to identify emerging food safety issues.
Moreover, FSIS has updated its Listeria-specific training for over 5,200 frontline inspectors, enhancing their ability to identify and manage noncompliance and systemic food safety problems.
3. Tackling Salmonella Illnesses
With a fresh mandate, Secretary Rollins has directed FSIS to devise a pragmatic strategy for managing Salmonella in poultry products. The agency has reconsidered previous proposals that threatened to impose heavy regulatory burdens on small producers and processors, focusing instead on constructive dialogue with stakeholders to find effective solutions.
4. Strengthening Collaborations with States
Recognizing the vital role states play in maintaining food safety, Secretary Rollins allocated an additional $14.5 million in funding for state meat and poultry inspection programs. This funding is designed to support over 1,500 businesses that depend on state inspections, especially small and very small processors. Enhanced cooperative agreements have been established with 29 states to ensure a well-coordinated food safety oversight structure.
5. Enabling FSIS Inspectors to Enforce Compliance
To ensure safe food production, FSIS has ramped up enforcement actions, with 103 enforcement actions taken in 2025 alone, representing a 36% increase from the preceding year. FSIS has instructed field supervisors to conduct in-person follow-ups on inspections to guarantee compliance and resolve any identified issues effectively.
As the USDA strengthens its commitment to food safety, it aims to provide consumers with the reassurance they need regarding the safety of their food supply. This comprehensive plan is a testament to the agency’s dedication to enhancing food safety protocols across the nation.
Source: USDA
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