US food security outlook 'to improve in the future'

Reminder about summing up calculations.

Most food safety experts agree that there is room for improvement when it comes to meat and poultry product safety, as evidenced by some high-profile product recalls last year.

In late September, Hillshire Brands Co., a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. in Springdale, Arkansas, recalled 25 million kilograms of corn sausage and sausage sticks. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the products were sold under the State Fair and Jimmy Dean brands. They were sold online and shipped to retailers and food service establishments nationwide. They were also sold to school districts and Department of Defense installations across the country.

In late October, Austin, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods Corp. announced a recall of approximately 4.8 million pounds of frozen ready-to-eat chicken products that the FSIS said may have been contaminated with metal pieces.

The problem was discovered after the food service company received numerous customer complaints about metal particles in frozen chicken breasts and thighs. According to the FSIS, Hormel Foods determined that the metal particles entered the product from a conveyor belt used in production.

Also in October, LSI Inc. of Alpena, South Dakota, announced the recall of 2.2 million pounds of Golden Island brand ready-to-eat Korean BBQ pork jerky, which the FSIS said was suspected of being contaminated with metal particles.

The product recall was initiated after the company received numerous complaints from consumers who found metal fragments in their dried meat. LSI determined that the metal had entered the product from a conveyor belt used in production at their facility.

In September, 16 people were infected with a strain   of Salmonella Enteritidis that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked to home-delivered meals from Metabolic Meals.

As of September 5, 2025, cases had been reported in 10 states. Case onset dates ranged from July 24 to August 15, 2025. Of the 15 people for whom information was available, seven were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. The affected cases were reported during the week beginning July 28, 2025.

Inspection initiatives

In August, FSIS announced a proposed rule amending the staffing standards table for swine postmortem inspections applicable to slaughterhouses operating under the traditional inspection system. The agency stated that this change would provide flexibility and allow FSIS to allocate Inspection Program (IPP) personnel based on the plant's production line configuration, other plant operations, and FSIS staffing needs.

"FSIS proposes to eliminate the requirement for mandibular lymph node dissection and visceral palpation of swine in all swine slaughter establishments (i.e., establishments operating under the traditional Swine Slaughter Inspection System or the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System (NSIS)," the agency's summary states.

"Dissection of the mandibular lymph nodes and palpation of the internal organs of swine carcasses are not necessary to ensure food safety because FSIS cull rates for swine are low and diseases that are cullable defects can be detected visually by other pathological changes in the carcass and its parts."

Investments in laboratories

In mid-July, the office of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the opening of USDA's new, upgraded Midwest Food Safety Laboratory in Normandy, Missouri.

The new laboratory, located at 7654 Natural Bridge Road in Normandy, is part of the USDA's recently launched plan to combat foodborne diseases.

"President Trump is committed to ensuring American consumers have the safest, most plentiful, and most affordable food in the world," Rollins said of the lab's opening. "On food safety, USDA is charting a new course to give consumers confidence that their meat, poultry, and egg products meet our global food safety standards."

At the lab's opening, Rollins outlined the agency's plans to strengthen food safety in the United States. He added that priorities include:

Improve oversight of microbiological testing and inspections.

USDA's first priority is to implement a Listeria monocytogenes testing method that will provide faster results and detect a wider range of Listeria species that can survive and grow in a variety of conditions, including refrigeration.

According to the December 2024 issue of the Journal of Food Protection , Listeria monocytogenes has been the leading cause of all food and beverage recalls in the United States over the past 20 years. Most recently, in 2024, a listeriosis outbreak linked to the Boar's Head Provisions plant, which produces ready-to-eat deli meats, resulted in 60 hospitalizations and 10 deaths in the United States. In 2025, FSIS tested more than 23,000 samples for listeria, a 200% increase over 2024, according to the agency.

The Midwest Lab will support these expanded testing efforts.

As the agency reported, during President Donald Trump's first term, the Food Safety and Health Administration (FSIS) worked with the administration to secure funding for the construction of a 70,000-square-foot laboratory to replace the current "outdated" lab in St. Louis. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 24 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages the property on behalf of other government agencies, signed a 20-year, $115.4 million lease for the site.

The new center will help analyze samples for foodborne pathogens and chemical residues and will facilitate the optimization of the FSIS laboratory system. FSIS will also mobilize resources to conduct on-site food safety assessments (FSAs), prioritizing establishments producing ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.

In 2025, FSIS completed 440 air quality inspections, a 52% increase over the same period in 2024.

Provide FSIS inspectors with updated training and tools.

FSIS has implemented a new weekly questionnaire for frontline inspectors to collect data on specific risk factors associated with Listeria monocytogenes in all establishments selling ready-to-eat food products. To date, approximately 53,000 weekly questionnaires on these risk factors have been collected, yielding over 840,000 new data points.

In addition to this new tool, FSIS is enhancing its inspector guidance and training to help them recognize and identify problems in a facility's food safety system. The guidance shows inspectors how to look beyond individual violations and identify systemic issues that need to be addressed. Last year, FSIS updated its specialized listeria training program for more than 5,200 inspectors.

Reducing the incidence of salmonella-related diseases.

Although the USDA withdrew its proposed salmonella control program during the Biden administration, the agency is exploring a more effective approach to addressing salmonella in poultry products. The withdrawn program raised concerns among stakeholders about the regulatory burden and costly consequences. According to Rollins, under the Trump administration, the USDA is implementing a "new, common-sense strategy" for salmonella control to protect public health and prevent overregulation.

Rollins added that the initiative includes organizing meetings with key stakeholders starting this month to agree on the best approaches for moving forward.

Strengthening state alliances

The U.S. Department of Agriculture considers states to be critical partners in ensuring a secure and stable food supply.

In May 2025, Rollins announced an additional $14.5 million in reimbursements to states for meat and poultry inspection programs. The agency also called on Congress to ensure sustainable funding for these programs going forward.

According to the USDA, this funding supports more than 1,500 U.S. businesses that rely on government inspection, including small and very small meat and poultry processing plants.

In May 2025, Rollins also signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) to improve collaboration between USDA and the states in the future.

Additionally, FSIS has signed comprehensive and updated cooperative agreements with 29 states that implement state meat and poultry inspection programs. These agreements clarify requirements for monitoring and enforcing food safety laws, provide comprehensive training for inspectors, and ensure regular coordination with FSIS.

As part of its enhanced oversight of the state's Talmadge-Aiken Cooperative Education (TA) programs, FSIS conducted in-person inspections of 77% (320 of 414) of the TA program's participating institutions in the first half of 2025.

Train FSIS inspectors to take appropriate action.

The Food Safety Agency (FSIS) said it uses its enforcement authority to issue notices of intent to comply or suspensions to businesses to address recurring noncompliance issues and ensure safe food production.

By the end of 2025, FSIS planned to increase compliance efforts by nearly 40% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, FSIS instructed its field supervisors to conduct on-site audits if systemic issues are identified during the Financial Security Assessment (FSA).