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In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to acclaimed food policy journalist Helena Bottemiller Evich about the rise of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, the current state of food and nutrition policy under its agenda, and predictions for its future.

According to a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for USDA, 20,306 employees left the agency between January and June 2025. This does not include any attrition from the agency’s planned reorganization or the federal government shutdown.

USDA-FSIS has named Robert Bane as the new Deputy Administrator of Field Operations, who will serve alongside Deputy Administrator Dr. Denise Eblen in the Office of the Administrator. FSIS also announced several other appointments in different offices.

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that USDA must amend the Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard to close the loophole that exempts certain “ultra-processed” foods (UPFs) from displaying label disclosures for genetically modified (GM) ingredients. Additionally, the court ruled that QR code-only disclosures are unlawful without explicit on-label statements.

INNEO is a peptide-based antimicrobial processing aid. USDA’s No Objection Letter enables U.S. meat and poultry processors to use INNEO both as a surface treatment and directly within the food matrix of comminuted products. 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 were unveiled on January 7 alongside a new, inverted food pyramid that elevates the importance of protein and dairy, and an “eat real food” messaging campaign that denounces “highly processed food.”

As in years past, USDA’s Pesticide Data Program reports that more than 99 percent of foods sampled in 2024 were compliant with EPA pesticide residue limits. Some persistent organic pollutants, like DDT, continue to show up in crops.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to four seasoned professionals with experience in the regulatory, academic, and industry spheres about the increasing rate of U.S. food recalls and how the foodborne illness outbreak investigation system could be improved.

To help paint a picture of how federal food safety and public health regulatory agencies have been affected by the second Trump Administration, this article provides a 2025 timeline summarizing major happenings at HHS, FDA, CDC, and USDA, including firings and hirings, restructurings, policy changes, program and budget cuts, and other actions.

In this year-end episode of Food Safety Matters, we round up the top stories of 2025, covering U.S. federal food safety policy changes under the Trump Administration, MAHA- and state-led moves against food additives of concern and ultra-processed foods, infant formula safety, science on Listeria and biofilms, ongoing monitoring of avian flu, and AI food safety applications.