The USDA just made a dangerous decision: they withdrew a rule that would have finally set real limits on salmonella levels in raw poultry. After three years of work, and a plan that could have prevented over 160,000 infections every year, they simply scrapped it.

This rollback comes under an administration that has loudly promised to Make America Healthy Again. President Trump and RFK Jr. have both campaigned on restoring the nation’s health. Yet now, one of the most basic protections — keeping deadly bacteria out of our food — is being thrown away to please industry lobbyists.

Where is the health and safety they promised us?

Salmonella isn’t some distant, rare threat. It sickens 1.35 million Americans a year and kills 420 people, many of them children and seniors. This simple rule would have required poultry companies to test for the most dangerous strains and prevent contaminated meat from reaching our stores and our kitchens.

Instead, the USDA is now sending a clear message: profits come before public health.

It’s not about sound science. It’s not about freedom. It’s about selling tainted meat to unsuspecting families and pretending that's somehow making the country “healthier.”

This is not what we were promised. We demand that the USDA immediately reinstate salmonella limits and protect the health of the American people.