U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a comprehensive food safety initiative during the opening of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s modernized Midwestern Food Safety Laboratory. The plan aims to strengthen the Food Safety and Inspection Service’s capacity to protect the nation’s meat, poultry, and egg supply chain.
The announcement took place at the new facility in Normandy, Missouri, which replaces an outdated laboratory in St. Louis. The 70,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility secured funding during the previous Trump administration through collaboration with Congressional leaders. The laboratory will analyze verification samples for foodborne pathogens and chemical residues while supporting efforts to streamline the FSIS laboratory system.
Enhanced Testing and Inspection Measures
The agency has significantly expanded its microbiological testing capabilities, particularly for Listeria detection. FSIS has tested over 23,000 samples for Listeria in 2025, representing a 200 percent increase from 2024 levels. The department continues developing enhanced testing methods to provide quicker results and detect broader Listeria species, helping identify conditions where dangerous bacteria can thrive in ready-to-eat product facilities.
Food Safety Assessments have also increased substantially, with 440 completed in 2025, marking a 52 percent rise from the same period in 2024. These assessments prioritize ready-to-eat meat and poultry establishments and proactively identify potential food safety concerns before they become widespread issues.
Inspector Training and Data Collection
FSIS has implemented new data collection tools for frontline inspectors, including weekly questionnaires focused on Listeria monocytogenes risk factors at all ready-to-eat establishments. Approximately 53,000 weekly questionnaires have been collected, generating over 840,000 new data points on risk factors. This information helps inspectors and supervisors identify developing food safety concerns and take timely protective action.
The agency has updated its Listeria-specific training, administered to over 5,200 frontline inspection personnel since January. New instructions help inspectors recognize systemic problems at establishments that require elevation and immediate attention, moving beyond individual noncompliance issues.
Salmonella Strategy Revision
Secretary Rollins has directed FSIS to develop a new approach to address Salmonella in poultry products. The agency withdrew the previous administration’s proposed Salmonella Framework in April following stakeholder concerns about regulatory burden and costs to small poultry growers and processors. The new strategy will begin with listening sessions involving key stakeholders to develop collaborative approaches.
State Partnership Strengthening
The department announced $14.5 million in additional funding to reimburse states for their meat and poultry inspection programs. This funding supports more than 1,500 American businesses relying on state inspection, including small and very small processors. Secretary Rollins signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture to improve collaboration.
FSIS has completed comprehensive cooperative agreements with all 29 states operating meat and poultry programs, clarifying oversight expectations and enforcement responsibilities. The agency has conducted in-person reviews at 77 percent of Talmadge-Aiken state cooperative program establishments in the first six months of 2025.
Enforcement Actions Increase
The agency has taken 103 enforcement actions in 2025 to protect consumers, representing a 36 percent increase over the same period in 2024. These actions include notices of intended enforcement and operation suspensions at establishments with recurring noncompliance issues. Field supervisors now conduct mandatory follow-up visits when systemic issues are identified during Food Safety Assessments.
