Grassley Welcomes Establishment of USDA National Food Safety Center in Iowa, Additional Projects to Ames

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA - U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed an announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will establish a new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, which will serve as the primary hub for the Food Safety and Inspection Service's administrative, technical and support operations. USDA also announced the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will begin relocating programs from the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland to facilities across the country, which is expected to include Ames.

USDA's announcement comes after Grassley led the Iowa congressional delegation and Gov. Kim Reynolds in a letter urging Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to consider Iowa as a prime candidate for relocation of some USDA services.

"USDA'S announcement is great news for our state. Not only will this new food safety center generate hundreds of new jobs, it'll bring significant investments to the local economy. This move shows USDA recognizes that Iowa knows agriculture, and I appreciate Secretary Rollins' decision to establish this new center in Urbandale and to move additional projects to Ames from the Beltsville facility in Maryland," Grassley said.

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