Shutdown Deal Kills Rules to Prevent Food Contamination and Foodborne Illnesses

"Amid a lobbying blitz and a flood of campaign cash, senators inserted language into this week's emergency spending bill that eliminates rules designed to prevent food contamination and foodborne illnesses at farms and restaurants, according to legislative text reviewed by The Lever. The bill would also limit the development of rules to regulate ultra-processed foods, despite such foods being derided by the "Make America Healthy Again Movement," championed by President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr."

"The Senate's gutting of these rules coincides with a huge increase in hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne illnesses. The changes follow restaurant and food industry lobbyists spending more than $13 million in 2025 lobbying the White House, Congress, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other regulators on food-tracking issues and other matters, disclosures show."

"Two of these lobbying groups pressing for the changes delivered more than $750,000 to both parties' congressional candidates and more than $145,000 to the two parties' congressional election committees in the last election. That includes $17,000 combined to three of the seven Democratic senators who sided with Republicans to pass the funding bill. One of the rules being targeted would institute new record-keeping standards for food companies so federal agencies can more easily identify the origin point of any "foodborne illness outbreaks," among other potential safety risks."

Senators inserted provisions into an emergency spending bill that remove rules aimed at preventing food contamination and foodborne illness at farms and restaurants. The bill also restricts development of regulations for ultra-processed foods, despite criticism of such products by the Make America Healthy Again Movement and its champion, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. The timing coincides with a significant rise in hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne illnesses. The policy changes follow more than $13 million in 2025 lobbying by restaurant and food industry groups and notable campaign contributions. Targeted rules included new record-keeping standards to trace outbreak origins.

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