The agency said the Biden-era proposal would have been a burden on businesses. Food-safety experts criticized the decision as an unwillingness to protect the public.

The Agriculture Department has scrapped a Biden-era proposal to limit salmonella in raw chicken and turkey products, saying it would be an “overwhelming burden” on small producers. Food safety experts are crying fowl over the decision—“The message they seem to be sending to consumers is: you’re on your own,

The Agriculture Department will not require poultry companies to limit salmonella bacteria in their products, halting a Biden Administration effort to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat. The department on Thursday said it was withdrawing a rule proposed in August after three years of development.