USDA Risks Becoming Irrelevant on Food Safety
As concerns grow over its response to the screwworm situation in Texas, there’s a food safety issue flying under the radar at the U.S. Department of Agriculture that also may impact consumers more directly.
Last December, USDA announced a delay in the implementation of a rule that would declare Salmonella an adulterant in not-ready-to-eat breaded stuffed chicken products. In terms of food safety oversight proposals, CR described this as being easier than picking low-hanging fruit. USDA claimed the reason for the delay was that currently available test methods have accuracy limitations.
However, even the USDA’s own evidence doesn’t support the claim. In May 2024, USDA actually confirmed the existence of a validated test that had no false-positive issues. Now, USDA officials say that they became aware of inaccuracies in that test—but didn’t release any data to support their assertion. Consumer Reports recently wrote the USDA to express concern over this lack of transparency and to request any data supporting the claim of testing inaccuracies.
If USDA fails to move forward with this rule, it runs the risk of being perceived as being irrelevant on food safety oversight and beholden to industry interests. While the department’s food safety leadership likes to repeatedly emphasize that they use a science-based and data-driven approach to policy making, consumer advocates worry that these statements are meaningless if they don’t translate into policy initiatives that aim to prevent foodborne illness.
This Op-Ed was reprinted with permission from Consumer Reports Food Policy Insider. To subscribe, send an email to: foodpolicyinsider@cr.consumer.org
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