Grocery Update #59: The Trump USDA, Still Not Making America Healthier.
Also: UFCW Calls On FTC Officials To Defy Trump. Indie Grocers Step Up Their Game. And Why You Should Eat Actual Veggies.
Discontents: 1. Trump USDA Increases Meat Processing Line Speeds. 2. Four Questions With Hailey Swartz, CEO and CoFounder of Actual Veggies. 3. Quote Of The Week. 4. UFCW: FTC Commissioners Should Defy Illegal Firings by Trump. 5. Indie Grocers Go On The Offensive. 6. Kenyan Farmers Block GMO Imports. 7. Tunes.
1. Trump USDA Increases Meat Processing Line Speeds.
The Trump USDA continues its regressive policy approach to food and agriculture. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins recently instructed the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to allow increased line speeds at pork and poultry plants, while no longer requiring plants to submit data on worker safety. Despite running on a platform of lowering food prices and “Making America Healthy Again”, the Trump Administration is prioritizing industry profit margins over the health and safety of workers and consumers.
The new USDA line speed policies follow recent decisions to kill over one billion dollars in local food infrastructure funding, while budgeting over ten billion dollars in commodity production subsidies to offset trade war losses for large scale farmers, as well as underwriting industrial egg production practices that have supercharged the spread of avian influenza, what epidemiologist Rob Wallace calls an “economic black hole at the heart of the present model of food production”. Increased line speeds also prioritize the broiler chicken sector’s interests over an egg supply hammered by avian flu.
Line speeds refer to the rate at which animals are slaughtered and processed per minute on production lines in poultry and meatpacking plants. Increased speeds forces workers to process more animals in less time, increasing the risk of injury and contamination. Such a policy change is a gift to meat processors and their Beltway lobbyists.
Rollins, a political appointee with no previous food industry experience, is tasked with overseeing a $412 billion annual budget heavily involved in farming and food production, food processing, crucial aspects of food and worker safety and some of the largest food security programs in the world, such as SNAP and WIC. Rollins’ leadership of the USDA means she will have significantly more influence over the food supply than the much heralded appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. over the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Kennedy is currently locking horns with consumer packaged goods (CPG) corporate leaders over their use of artificial food dyes.
“Increased line speeds will hurt workers – it’s not a maybe, it’s a definite – and increased production speeds will jeopardize the health and safety of every American that eats chicken,” stated Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents more than 15,000 poultry workers at facilities across the southern U.S.
“All government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of our communities. Secretary Rollins’ decision to increase poultry and pork processing line speeds is a reckless move that endangers the physical and mental well-being of the 415,000 people who already work at breakneck speeds in processing plants across the country. It also increases the risk of contamination, threatening the safety of millions of families who consume pork and chicken, turkey, and other poultry,” echoed the HEAL (Health, Environment, Agriculture, Labor) Food Alliance.
The Trump Administration rode to victory by criticizing the high food prices of the Biden-Harris era, while not acknowledging the outsized role of corporate profiteering in these price hikes. Increased line speeds could be a means to flood the market with meat to juice the revenue and profit margins of large meat processors, as consumption has plummeted due to price increases of over 50% since 2019. The meat sector is heavily consolidated, with just four companies controlling vast market shares in pork and poultry. The line speed increases could also mean a return to the working conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic that saw skyrocketing rates of injury in these enormous processing facilities, work done by a largely immigrant and migrant workforce, under working conditions that most Americans could hardly imagine.
New research from the Food Chain Workers Alliance shows that compared to the industry average, animal slaughtering & processing workers were more than twice as likely to be injured on the job.
Additionally, a poultry plant line worker can process as many as 14,000 chickens daily, while pork processing plant workers perform the same repetitive task nearly 9,000 times a day. The pressure to meet these quotas often comes at the expense of both worker and consumer safety.
“Poultry workers in the U.S. already face hazardous working conditions while processing birds at the current line speed of 140 birds per minute,” said Alexandra Sossa, Chief Executive officer at Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project. “In order to meet employer-mandated quotas, workers are forced to push their bodies to exhaustion, leading to severe injuries ranging from musculoskeletal disorders and repetitive motion illnesses to deep lacerations and amputations. Giving corporations a free reign to increase line speeds will only make working conditions more dangerous.”
Chicken processors, however, supported the move. “The current approach has created significant uncertainty for companies with waivers and a competitive disadvantage for those without them,” Harrison Kircher, president of the National Chicken Council, said in a statement. “We appreciate the administration moving to ensure a level playing field and help increase the global competitiveness of the U.S. broiler industry.” Chicken processors have seen their profits soar with customers looking for more affordable protein options.
But the processing line speed ups confirm what food sector activists have been claiming for decades: that the meat industry prioritizes corporate profit at the expense of food safety, the wellbeing of workers, and the health of consumers. Jose Oliva, Campaigns Director at the HEAL Food Alliance, sees this as the heart of the problem.
“Our current food system is rigged for corporate profit,” Oliva said.
“Historically, regulatory agencies like the USDA and OSHA at least engaged in oversight, even if imperfectly. Now, a handful of powerful food and agriculture corporations have been given free rein to set their own safety standards, prioritizing profits over the safety and health of everyday people. This decision not only jeopardizes food safety but also deepens the exploitation of an already vulnerable workforce”, Oliva further stated.
Axel Fuentes, Executive Director of the Rural Community Workers Alliance, stated that, “Rollins claims that food safety is a priority but workers know from experience that the faster the line moves, the more likely the meat is contaminated. It takes time to properly inspect and remove abscesses, contaminants, and other irregularities. Under this new system, workers won’t be able to keep up. Recent recalls have occurred when workers reported not having enough time to clean the meat properly. But now, workers, even those who are permanent residents, fear speaking up. Many worry that taking action could cost them their jobs or even make them targets for immigration enforcement.”
The unsustainably high line speeds are also causing poultry workers to face heightened risks of carpal tunnel syndrome. And overcrowded facilities that cram workers together at poultry processing plants are worsening the spread of disease, as occurred during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Factory farm conditions and systematic failures in disease prevention have also created the perfect storm for the avian flu outbreak. In Canada, modest supply management policies keep farmgate and farmer pay prices higher, while disincentivizing the buildout of fast-paced, crowded and large scale production facilities at the heart of avian flu virulence. According to epidemiologist Rob Wallace, “The crisis of an outbreak is being deployed as a gambit in disaster capitalism. The aim appears more to position bird flu to help counterattack efforts to fix the model of production that brought about the disaster in the first place.”
HEAL Food Alliance is calling for immediate action to reverse these dangerous policies, including immediate reinstatement of safety regulations and mandatory reporting on worker health and injuries, an end to line speed increases that put both workers and consumers at risk and stronger protections for workers who speak out about unsafe conditions, including safeguards against employer retaliation and immigration enforcement threats.
There is little reason to believe that the current suite of USDA policies will mitigate any of the enormous risks to the food system and ensure the availability of safe, affordable and uncontaminated food. In the meantime, the Trump USDA is wasting no time in proving that instead of “Making America Heathy Again”, they are more concerned with how to make food monopolies more profitable than ever.
2. Four Questions With Hailey Swartz, CEO and CoFounder of Actual Veggies.
What inspired you to start Actual Veggies?
Jason, my co-founder, was looking to replace his favorite food, the traditional meat burger. He saw a lot of imitation meat burgers on shelf, but they were not healthy, nor did they look appetizing. The question was why could you get such a delicious chef-crafted veggie burger at a restaurant, but not at the grocery store. We joined together to create a restaurant style veggie burger for the grocery store, one that was healthy and tasted great. The best part is full-circle: our veggie burgers are now being used by world renowned chefs at restaurants. To us: the biggest compliment that we did something right.
How does Actual Veggies stand out in the plant-based food segment?
Unlike other plant- based burgers, we don't try to taste like meat, but instead celebrate the veggies in each of our unique flavors. We constantly hear that a huge differentiator between us and other veggie burgers: you can actually see the veggies in Actual Veggies. Additionally, all of our products are allergen free (including soy and gluten free) and made with no oil or avocado oil.
What is your ingredient sourcing philosophy and product development strategy?
We really believe in using whole and real ingredients. If you can't say it, we won't use it. The best part is you could literally make our veggie burgers with your own ingredients in your kitchen and they would come out just how they do off the manufacturing line. We are not trying to do something in secret, instead we are trying to create a delicious meal or side that is convenient and easy to cook.
What is your vision for a better food supply?
We believe the future of food should be simpler, cleaner, and more transparent. Our vision is a food supply that prioritizes whole, recognizable ingredients over ultra-processed formulations. That means fewer additives, less reliance on artificial ingredients, and a shift towards real, whole foods that nourish people without compromising taste or convenience.
Ultimately, we want to bridge the gap between restaurant-quality and grocery store convenience, proving that packaged food can be both nutritious and crave-worthy.
3. Quote Of The Week: Megan Westgate, Non-GMO Project, on the Non-UPF Verified Seal.
NOSH/Bevnet interview:
“We want more packaged food to be metabolically nourishing… We want CPGs to change their formulations and their ingredients. And we want it to be easy for shoppers who are busy and on a budget, in a hurry, to easily find things that they know are going to be more nourishing for their families.”
4. UFCW Leader: FTC Commissioners Should Defy Illegal Firings by Trump.
This past week, President Trump illegally fired two Federal Trade Commissioners. The two Commissioners, Alvaro Bedoya (whose current term expires in September of 2026) and Rebecca Slaughter (whose current term expires in September of 2029) were legally nominated by the President of The United States and approved by the US Senate. There is no procedure for the President to “fire” an FTC Commissioner as if they were some candidates on his Apprentice TV show.
These Commissioners serve the people of the Unites States and do serious work. For example, one of many cases they have taken action on was a lawsuit to stop a proposed mega merger of Kroger and Albertsons— a suit that succeeded in Federal Court in December of 2024. Stopping that bad merger proposal helped prevent Kroger from having a near monopoly in many markets across the country and even more control over our grocery prices than they already do. Lowering out-of-control grocery prices should be a priority for all elected officials.
“We call on Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter to simply defy the illegal order. They are excellent attorneys and are well aware of the illegal nature of the order, therefore they should refuse to comply with it. We all need to be standing up to President Trump when he is taking these illegal acts,” said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000.
5. Indie Grocers Go On The Offensive.
Recently, during The NGA Show in Las Vegas, The National Grocers Association (NGA) announced the launch of Fair Markets, Fresh Choices, an advocacy campaign that spotlights and demands a level playing field in the food retail industry.
Independent community supermarkets—many of them family-or-employee-owned—are the backbone of neighborhoods across America, ensuring local economies thrive and consumers have access to fresh, affordable food. Yet, these essential businesses have been forced to compete under unfair conditions for too long. Mega retailers exploit their outsized market power to sidestep fair pricing laws, credit card giants impose exorbitant fees that drive up consumer costs, and government agencies tie up independent businesses with excessive red tape that stifles growth and limits consumer choice.
Why? The top 6 chains control 65% of grocery retail nationally, the top 4 over 50%. Grocery retail is also heavily consolidated on a regional basis. In Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle, the top 2 control 50%. In Chicago, the top 3 control 50%, in Southern California the top 2 control 40%. In Detroit, Atlanta, DFW, Arizona and Denver, Colorado, the top 3 control 60%. In Houston, the top 3 control nearly 70%. In Austin, the top 2 control 75%. Walmart alone has over 60% market share in dozens of metro areas. And in all cases either Walmart and/or Kroger are in 1 of the top 2 slots. It should be no surprise then that the number of grocery stores has declined by 30% in the last 25 years. And four or fewer corporations also control 93% of soda sales, 80% of candy, 75% of yogurt, 72% of breakfast cereals, 60% of snack bars, 66% of frozen pizza, 60% of bread, 80% of toothpaste and 80% of toilet paper sales.
These systemic imbalances harm independent grocers and the American families who rely on them every day.
“While independent grocers are innovating, investing, and serving their communities, powerful mega chains manipulate the system to protect their monopolies at the expense of hardworking Americans,” said NGA President & CEO Greg Ferrara. “Fair competition is a fundamental pillar of our economy and essential for a robust Main Street. When small businesses and local entrepreneurs have a level playing field to compete on, American communities prosper, jobs grow, and consumers benefit. Our new campaign aims to educate and inform both lawmakers and everyday Americans about these imbalances and what can be done to fix them.”
Fair Markets, Fresh Choices directly challenges these anti-competitive practices, bringing real-world stories from independent grocers to the forefront. The campaign highlights the urgent need for:
- Strictly enforcing antitrust laws to end harmful pricing schemes that disadvantage independent businesses and consumers and prevent the free market from working.
- Reforming credit card processing fees, stopping financial giants from siphoning billions in hidden costs from retailers and customers.
- Eliminating counterproductive government restrictions that stifle Main Street businesses with costly and unnecessary regulations that ultimately drive up food costs.
- Ending government overreach that restricts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants from making their own food choices based on their individual dietary needs.
For more info, please see here.
6. Kenyan Farmers Block GMO Imports.
On March 7th, the Nairobi Court of Appeal upheld the decision to block genetically modified organisms (GMOs) imports into the country, siding with the small-holder farmer movements like the Kenya Peasants League and Biodiversity and Biosafety Association of Kenya (BIBA). Since the government attempted to lift the ban on GMO in 2022, food sovereignty activists have been actively challenging the decision.
And Kenya is not the only country where these battles are taking place. On March 5th, Mexico amended the constitution to prohibit the planting of GM corn as well as any further technologies of genetic manipulation. This comes at the end of a long drawn-out trade dispute between the US and Mexico. Even though Mexico ultimately lost the ruling, its citizens were loud and clear in rejecting GM corn in their food supply, backed by the extremely robust scientific case that Mexico put forward. In 2023, the Supreme Court of the Philipines vindicated MASIPAG, a coalition of more than 50,000 farmers and scientists, by banning the commercial cultivation of Golden Rice.
Why are peasants and scientists fighting back against GMOs?
First, a loss of farmer sovereignty: GM crops can only deliver when used with agrochemicals like fertilizer and pesticide (and with diminishing returns as the same inputs degrade soil health). This essentially locks farmers into industrial agriculture where rising input costs (due to geopolitical conflicts and speculation) and one bad harvest can push them into debilitating debt.
Do we know if they’re really safe? Mexico’s national science agency compiled an extremely comprehensive review showing health risks associated with growing and eating the most widely grown crop in the US, corn (the director and scientist of this agency recently did a webinar discussing the key findings). Not to mention the risks associated with accompanying agrochemicals.
GMOs mean an increase in corporate consolidation. There is research showing that Golden Rice not only fails to deliver on its promises, but also further strengthens an extremely consolidated corporate seed industry at the expense of farmers. The same four multinational corporations (Bayer-Monsanto, Syngenta, BASF, and DowDuPont) control 75% of plant breeding research, 60% of the commercial seed market, and 76% of global agrochemical sales.
What next?
Kenyan activists say that this case is far from over. They expect the government to fight the decision. The Mexico-US decision will have ripple effects on other countries in trade agreements with the US. It’s not just a policy issue, but also about Mexico’s right to protect their heritage, culture and sovereignty. And despite their victory, rural Filipino communities fighting Golden Rice have been labeled as “anti-science” by many mainstream media coverage.
In the meantime, the movement to label GMOs and curb their cultivation is alive and well, led by grassroots farmers, food workers and conscious consumers.
7. Tunes.
Hang in there, this shit ain’t easy.
peace.