Loss of USDA food safety committees is a loss for everyone in America

The recent decision to eliminate the USDA’s National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and their National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) should alarm every American. This isn’t just about disbanding committees. It’s a clear signal that food safety — at the federal level — is no longer a top priority.

I had the honor of serving two appointed terms on NACMPI as a consumer advocate for food safety. These committees were not bureaucratic formalities; they were essential forums where industry leaders, independent experts, and consumer voices collaborated to strengthen food safety policies. Their expertise provided oversight and science-based recommendations. Without them, we are left with a dangerous void — one likely to be filled by corporate interests prioritizing cost savings over public health.

The often-repeated phrase, “America has the safest food supply in the world,” should serve as a commitment to uphold, not an excuse to weaken consumer protections. 

Food safety is not a static achievement — it requires constant vigilance against bacterial contamination, emerging pathogens, and supply chain vulnerabilities. Eliminating these advisory committees is akin to dismantling a fire department because there hasn’t been a fire in a while. It is reckless, short-sighted, and will cost lives.

Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, put it bluntly: “The termination of these two important advisory committees is very alarming and should serve as a warning to consumers that food safety will not be a priority at USDA in the foreseeable future.” These committees shaped public health protections for decades. To disregard such expertise is more than irresponsible; it is willful negligence.

Who benefits from this decision? Certainly not consumers, who depend on independent oversight to ensure the safety of their food. The Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA) of 1906 and the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) of 1957 were enacted to prevent adulteration and misbranding of meat and poultry, setting strict sanitation standards to protect public health. These laws remain in effect, but without NACMCF and NACMPI, their enforcement becomes increasingly vulnerable to political and corporate influence.

We have seen this story before. Every major foodborne illness outbreak — from the Jack in the Box E. coli crisis of 1993 to the Peanut Corporation of America’s Salmonella scandal, Chipotle’s multiple outbreaks, recurring leafy greens contaminations, and the deadly 2024 Listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats — has underscored the need for stronger regulations, not weaker ones. Yet time and again, we let the lessons of these tragedies fade. 

With this decision, the cost of doing nothing will not be measured in dollars saved, but in lives lost.

Consumers cannot afford to ignore this quiet dismantling of food safety protections. If the federal government will not make food safety a priority, then the public must. This is not just a policy shift — it is a fundamental betrayal of trust in our food system.

Too many parents, who stare at seats forever empty at their family tables, know the reality that when it comes to food safety, inaction is not just negligence — it is a death sentence waiting to be written.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,click here)