USDA is withdrawing a proposal that sought to reduce Salmonella in poultry

The Trump administration is withdrawing a Biden-era proposal that aimed to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products, arguing the new rule would have imposed “significant financial and operational burdens on American businesses and consumers," the Agriculture Department said Thursday.

The Trump administration is withdrawing a Biden-era proposal that aimed to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products, arguing the new rule would have imposed “significant financial and operational burdens on American businesses and consumers," the Agriculture Department said Thursday.

The proposed rule, which the Biden administration unveiled last year, would have created new safety standards in an effort to prevent the sale of raw chicken and chicken parts contaminated with certain levels or types of Salmonella. It would have also overhauled safety procedures and testing for poultry slaughterhouses to prevent Salmonella contamination.

Salmonella bacteria is a leading cause of foodborne illness and causes about 1.35 million infections in the U.S. every year, most commonly through contaminated food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The Meat Institute, a trade group representing meat and poultry processors, had appealed to President Donald Trump to withdraw the proposal and put forward a different one, describing it as among the “costly and burdensome” steps taken by the Biden administration.