WASHINGTON — Recently, the USDA announced that it would be reorganizing the Food Safety and Inspection Service to modernize operations, streamline support functions and better align the agency with the nation’s agricultural landscape.
As part of this effort, the USDA will establish a new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa, which will serve as the primary hub for FSIS administrative, technical and support operations, USDA said in the announcement.
“This is about building a stronger, more resilient food safety system for the country. By establishing a National Food Safety Center in Iowa and expanding our scientific capabilities, USDA is ensuring that the Food Safety and Inspection Service is positioned where it can best support American agriculture and protect public health,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said. “This is on top of the last year of work at the department to put science and safety first at FSIS.”
“We are ensuring the American people can trust their food is safe and healthy with gold standard processes and inspections,” Rollins added. “These changes reflect our commitment to modernizing the department while staying focused on delivering results for the American people.”
To establish the new NFSC, an existing USDA space in Urbandale will be repurposed, making it the agency’s largest office in the country in the process. With approximately 200 employees, the NFSC will serve as FSIS’ primary location for headquarters support functions, including resource management, training, food safety education, financial operations, information technology and administrative services, USDA added.
With all of these functions taking place in one location, FSIS can be more efficient in their services while also creating career opportunities for people across the country.
The establishment of the NFSC marks a significant shift in the agency’s operational footprint, placing key functions closer to the agricultural and food production systems that FSIS regulates and supports, USDA noted.
“We are taking a hard look at how FSIS operates and making targeted changes to improve how the agency functions day to day,” USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen A. Vaden said. “Consolidating support operations in Iowa, strengthening scientific work in Georgia, and aligning staff with mission needs will reduce duplication and improve accountability. This approach ensures that resources are used efficiently while maintaining the high standards the public expects from our food safety system.”
In addition to the new NFSC in Iowa, the FSIS will also establish a Science Center in Athens, Ga., building on its existing Eastern Field Services Laboratory and expanding its capabilities in microbiology, chemistry and epidemiology, USDA said, adding that this science center is the perfect way to improve FSIS’ scientific leadership while guaranteeing access to elite academic institutions, a strong public health workforce, and important industry partners.
“FSIS is a field-based public health agency, with the vast majority of our workforce serving on the frontlines in establishments across the country,” USDA Administrator Justin Ransom said. “This reorganization strengthens how we support those employees by bringing key training, policy, and technical expertise into closer alignment with their work. The National Food Safety Center will help us better prepare and support our workforce while also creating new opportunities to attract and develop the next generation of food safety professionals.”
The reorganization will also include a transfer of approximately two-thirds of its National Capitol Region workforce to high-priority locations, including the new NFSC in Iowa and Science Center in Georgia.
Approximately 200 positions will be relocated from Washington, D.C., while roughly 100 positions will remain to support congressional engagement, policy development and interagency coordination, USDA noted.
Along with the new locations in Iowa and Georgia, FSIS will be establishing a presence in Fort Collins, Colo, for workers supporting international operations, furthering FSIS coordination with USDA’s broader geographical footprint.
Although a lot of changes are coming with this reorganization, it will not impact FSIS’ inspection workforce, and all current inspection activities and public health protections will continue without interruption, USDA said, adding that the reorganization does not include any reduction in force as all FSIS employees will retain positions within the agency.