Constituent Update - April 24, 2026

Constituent Update - April 24, 2026

USDA Announces FSIS Reorganization and Establishment of National Food Safety Center

On April 23, 2026, USDA announced an FSIS reorganization to modernize operations, streamline support functions, and better align the agency with the nation's agricultural landscape. As part of this effort, FSIS will establish a new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa, as the agency's primary hub for administrative and support operations, and expand its scientific capabilities at its new Science Center in Athens, Ga.

The reorganization includes the phased relocation of certain National Capital Region staff to locations, including Iowa, Georgia, and other existing USDA and FSIS offices. FSIS will also establish a presence in Fort Collins, Colo., to support international activities. A core headquarters staff will remain in Washington D.C., to support congressional engagement, policy development and interagency coordination.

This reorganization does not affect frontline personnel or food safety activities which will continue without interruption. There is no reduction in force and all FSIS employees will retain positions within the agency.

Additional details are available in the USDA press release.

Stakeholder Engagement

Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears delivered the keynote at the 2026 Food Safety Hazards Conference on April 20, joining food safety leaders including Don Prater, Principal Deputy Associate Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy at Consumer Reports. Her remarks laid out FSIS priorities for the year ahead: grounding policy in science and data, advancing Salmonella control, strengthening the Listeria response, and expanding lab capacity at the new Midwestern Laboratory in Normandy, Mo.

From left: Under Secretary Brashears, Consumer Reports Director of Food Policy Brian Ronholm, and FDA Principal Deputy Associate Commissioner for Food Don Prater. Photo by Michael Starnes, Special Assistant for the USDA Office of Food Safety.

FSIS Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom delivered remarks at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Legislative Conference on April 23, joining cattle producers and state affiliate staff from across the country for the organization's spring meeting in Washington, D.C. He outlined USDA priorities with direct relevance to the beef industry, including advancing modernized inspection systems, strengthening Product of USA labeling standards, and supporting the federal response to New World Screwworm. Dr. Ransom emphasized that effective food safety oversight and a resilient beef industry are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing ones.

FSIS Administrator Dr. Justin Ransom delivered remarks at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. Photo by Public Affairs Specialist Ethan Pickrell.

FSIS FY 2025 Sampling Summary Now Available

FSIS' FY 2025 Sampling Summary report is now available on the FSIS website. The report includes results from the domestic microbiological and chemical sampling programs for beef, pork, Siluriformes, poultry, and egg products. This report also includes data from other FSIS sampling programs and projects, including results for chemical and microbiological sampling of imported products.

The report reflects the agency's implementation of the FY 2025 Annual Sampling Plan and complements FSIS' annual catalog of sampling projects, which lists the various project and test codes for the agency's sampling programs. These resources serve as part of the agency's continuing efforts to enhance transparency and provide stakeholders with reliable and timely information.

Visit the FSIS website to view additional data, and learn more about FSIS' sampling programs.

FSIS Posts Updated Quarterly Humane Handling Datasets

Today, the quarterly humane handling inspection datasets were updated on the FSIS website. The datasets include: (1) the number of administrative enforcement actions taken, (2) the number of humane handling verification tasks performed, (3) the number of humane handling verification tasks that resulted in a noncompliance record, and (4) the number of hours spent observing and verifying the humane treatment of livestock. This posting contains the most recent four quarters of data by district, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point size, and quarter.

FSIS Posts Quarterly Sampling Data

FSIS has updated the following quarterly sampling data sets:

• Quarterly Sampling Results: The quarterly sampling report was updated to include results through the second quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2026. Quarterly, FSIS calculates prevalence, volume weighted percent positive, or percent positive calculations for microbial pathogens in FSIS regulated products that are currently sampled through existing sampling projects using the prior 12 months of sampling data.

• Quarterly Sampling Reports for SalmonellaSerotype Information: The quarterly sampling report for Salmonella serotype information was updated to include results through the first quarter of FY2026. This post includes quarterly Salmonella serotype data for Salmonella isolates collected from FSIS product categories.

Available for Public Comment

FSIS seeks public comments on proposed rules and notices, which are viewable on the FSIS Federal Register & Rulemaking webpage. FSIS is currently seeking comments on the following:

• Until May 11: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Nutrition Labeling of Major Cuts of Single-Ingredient Raw Meat or Poultry Products and Ground or Chopped Meat and Poultry Products
• Until May 18: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Public Health Information System: Public Health Information System (PHIS)
• Until May 19: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Procedures for the Notification of New Technology and Requests for Waivers
• Until May 22: Notice of Request to Renew an Approved Information Collection: Voluntary Destruction of Imported Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products
• Until May 26: Notice of Request To Renew an Approved Information Collection: Laboratory Assessment Requests

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following:

• China

Complete information can be found at the FSIS Import & Export Library.