USDA Terminates Two Longstanding Food Safety Advisory Committees

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety advisory committees have been terminated by the Trump administration.

The agency notified members of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) that the committees had been eliminated on March 6.

“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,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. “These expert panels provide impartial scientific advice and recommendations to USDA, FDA and the CDC on public health issues related to food safety in the U.S. The failure to recognize and leverage the value of this scientific expertise is dangerous and irresponsible.”

NACMCF. NACMCF was created in 1988 by recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. It was established to provide impartial scientific advice and recommendations to the USDA and other government agencies on microbiological and public health issues related to food safety. The group met one to three times a year and had about 30 members, according to a USDA webpage on the committee.

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) solicited nominations for the committee in December 2024, recruiting members with expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health and food science to work on tasks such as reviewing FSIS’ regulatory approach to Listeria monocytogenes, addressing Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula and analyzing the benefits of genomic characterization of pathogens.

“For the past 36 years, experts serving on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods have played a critical role in fortifying our food safety standards and ensuring they rely on the latest science,” former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at the time. “Our approach to food safety must continually evolve, and those selected to serve on this committee will help us strengthen our regulatory frameworks and programs to best safeguard the health and well-being of American families.”

NACMPI. NACMPI was established in 1971 to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on food safety policies, including those related to meat and poultry inspection, contributing to the USDA's regulatory policy development. The group met twice a year and had about 20 members, according to a USDA webpage on the committee.

Recently, the committee was working on determining ways technology could enhance FSIS’ inspection activities, according to a September 2024 meeting notice.

The White House and the USDA have not made statements on the termination of the committees.