USDA Ramps Up Food Safety Strategy

On July 15, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke L. Rollins, announced a “comprehensive plan to bolster U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA”) efforts to combat foodborne illness” and better position USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (“FSIS”) “to protect the nation’s food supply”.

The USDA’s plan to bolster food safety (the “Plan”) is comprised of five key components: 

1. Enhancing Microbiological Testing and Inspection Oversight; 
2. Equipping FSIS Inspectors with Updated Training and Tools; 
3. Charging Ahead to Reduce Salmonella Illnesses; 
4. Strengthening State Partnerships; and
5. Empowering FSIS Inspectors to Take Action and to Drive Compliance.

Within the Plan, the USDA has placed a distinct emphasis on preventing and protecting U.S. consumer products from common foodborne pathogens, such as listeria. As reported, FSIS tested over 23,000 samples for Listeria in 2025 which is a 200 percent increase over the number of samples tested in 2024. FSIS also implemented a new questionnaire to collect data identifying “developing food safety concerns, allowing FSIS inspectors and their supervisors to take timely action to protect consumers.” From this effort, the FSIS has reportedly collected 840,000 new data points for key Listeria monocytogenes-related risk factors. 

The Plan also emphasizes FSIS’s enforcement authority, which includes the authority to issue notices of intended enforcement or suspending operations at establishments to address recurring non-compliance.  Additionally, FSIS may increase its in-person follow-up visits if systemic issues are identified. The Plan highlights that FSIS has taken 103 enforcement actions in 2025, which is an increase of 36 percent from 2024. 

To support the increased and enhanced testing efforts under the Plan, FSIS has opened a new, modernized Midwestern Laboratory in Missouri. According to the USDA, the new facility will “play a critical role in analyzing verification samples for foodborne pathogens and chemical residues and will also support efforts to streamline the FSIS laboratory system.”

The USDA’s Plan also views state food safety agencies and experts as a critical means to help ensure “a safe and strong food supply and provide a vital service in bringing nutritious, affordable American food products” to American households. FSIS will continue to collaborate with the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate food safety across the food supply chain.