- On July 9, 2026, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), FDA, and EPA announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) coordinating agency efforts to address drug residues, pesticide residues and other chemical contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products under FSIS jurisdiction, food-producing animals while under FSIS or FDA jurisdiction, and food for food-producing animals. The MOU aligns with FSIS’s efforts to modernize heavy metal testing in food products and further MAHA’s goals of reducing children’s exposure to harmful contaminants.
- As the MOU notes, evaluating chemical residues and contaminants in agriculture products is a shared responsibility among agencies. USDA is responsible for the safety and regulation of meat, poultry, and egg products, FDA is responsible for investigating residues reported by FSIS, and EPA is responsible for sale, distribution, and use of pesticides.
- To foster interagency cooperation, the MOU requires FSIS to provide FDA with weekly residue reports and keep FDA and EPA informed of residue testing programs. FDA and EPA must be transparent with FSIS on sampling frequency, production classes sampled, and chemical compounds tested on an annual basis. Agencies are also expected to coordinate and collaborate in development of action or screening levels for contaminants in meat, poultry, and egg products.
- Keller & Heckman will continue to monitor USDA and other agency developments.
