Each member of the triumvirate responsible for food safety at USDA brings something unique to the department’s leadership. Deputy Under Secretary Mindy Brashears is a top food scientist. FSIS Administrator Carmen Rottenberg is an experienced government lawyer. And Deputy FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker has, during the past 30 years, held almost every job in the agency since joining it as a food inspector.
On the year’s agenda
People outside USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) last August came to the agency to discuss a variety of issues. These included: sodium reduction targets, quail issues, consumer food safety education, Tyson, pre-harvest food safety inspection, exports, human rights, and the Humane Society.
Each time, one or more members of the triumvirate were both a fit and available to meet with the outside parties. FSIS periodically reports after the fact on meetings of agency leaders with persons outside the federal government.
Food Safety Safety News is picking up on meetings that have occurred since we ended up July 31 and covering the balance of 2019. We’ll also focus on only the most exciting sessions, leaving the others for reference here.
Plantation Quail is the brand name for quail produced in Georgia and it was “quail issues” that was the topic of an Aug. 1 meeting of Georgia officials with Brashears and Rottenberg. There are no issues about the gourmet flavor and tenderness of that Georgia specialty.
Brett Bachman and Samantha Stokes, journalists with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, interviewed Rottenberg on Aug. 23. From the timing, it was likely about a story they published, making the case that FSIS job vacancies are a crisis endangering food safety. Rottenberg did not agree with the story’s overall assertion.
September saw the USDA officials out to answer questions from reporters about the New Swine Inspection Program (NSIP) that took effect Dec.2 this past year.
During the month the deputy undersecretary and/or te FSIS administrator gave interviews to Stephanie Ho of USDA Radio; Lisa Keefe, Meatingplace; Spencer Chase, Agri-Pulse Communications; Candice Choi, AP; Julie Harker, Brownfield AG News; Margarita Raycheva, IEG Policy; Ali Zaslav, CNN: Chrissy Jones and Sarah Koch, CBS News 60 Minutes; and Dan Flynn, Food Safety News.
Where bison is the sole meat ingredient of a product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates it. That’s why a Sept. 18 meeting that Rottenberg and Kiecker had with National Bison Association leaders is interesting. The topic was bison inspection. There currently is a voluntary program for USDA/FDA bison inspection.
Dave Carter, Executive Director of the National Bison Association, had a follow-up telephone conference with Rottenberg on Oct. 17 with “inspection” as the reported topic.
Rottenberg and key staff members also finished up the swine inspection interviews by holding a session on Oct. 21, 2019, with Morgan Radford and Aaron Franco, both with NBC News.
On Nov.13, Sang Phan, Matthew Fast, Allen Johnson, Juan Pio Hernandez, all from the U.S. Seaford Distributors Associaton, met with Rottenberg and her staff. Siluriformes imports were the topic.
Two days later, Brashears met with Robin Schoen and Greg Symmes with the National Academy of Research Sciences about research issues.
Joe Harris, president, and Edward Ruff, vice-chair of the influential Southwest Meat Association, met with Rottenberg, Kiecker and other FSIS personnel on Dec. 4 about regulatory reform for small and very small establishments.
Also, during December, Rottenberg met with Gary Crawford with USDA Radio, and Kiecker met with top officials from the National Association of Federal Veterinarians. Both sessions were about FSIS’s recruitment challenges.
Finally, during each month except December, Brashears for USDA’s Office of Food Safety, and Rottenberg for FSIS conduct separate meetings for consumer and industry representatives.
Below is who, as of last meetings, were signed up as eligible to attend these monthly meetings. It is not an actual attendance list but includes those who might have participated either in person or via telephone.
Consumer Representatives (OFS)
- In-person Attendance:
- Thomas Gremillion, Consumer Federation of America
- Rachel Lyons, United Food and Commercial Workers
- James Rogers, Consumers Union
- Sarah Borron, Government Accountability Project
- Sarah Sorscher, Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety
- Teleconference Attendance
- Zach Corrigan, Food and Water Watch
- Michael Hansen, Consumers Union
- Pat Buck, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Mitzi Baum, STOP Foodborne Illness
- Tanya Roberts, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Kara Morgan, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Consumer Representatives (FSIS)
- In-person Attendance:
- Thomas Gremillion, Consumer Federation of America
- Rachel Lyons, United Food and Commercial Workers
- James Rogers, Consumers Union
- Sarah Borron, Government Accountability Project
- Sarah Sorscher, Center for Science in the Public Interest
- Jaydee Hanson, Center for Food Safety
- Teleconference Attendance
- Zach Corrigan, Food and Water Watch
- Michael Hansen, Consumers Union
- Pat Buck, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Mitzi Baum, STOP Foodborne Illness
- Tanya Roberts, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Kara Morgan, Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention
- Industry Representatives (OFS)
- In-person Attendance:
- Brian Eyink, Hogan Lovells
- John Dillard, Olsson Frank Weeda Law
- Mark Dopp, Meat Institute
- Brett Schwemer, Olsson Frank Weeda Law
- Chase Adams, American Sheep Industry Association
- Joshua Valdez, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
- Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council
- Tiffany Lee, North American Meat Institute
- Teleconference Attendance:
- Denise Heard, U.S. Poultry
- Casey Gallimore, North American Meat Institute
- Hilary Thesmar, Food Marketing Institute
Industry Representatives (FSIS)
- In-person Attendance:
- Anthony Pavel, Cargill
- Barbara Masters, Tyson Foods
- Brett Schwemer, Olsson Frank Weeda Law
- Brian Eyink, Hogan Lovells
- Casey Gallimore, North American Meat Institute
- Charles Penry, Tyson Foods
- Chase Adams, American Sheep Industry Assn
- Ferd Hoefner, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- John Dillard, Olsson Frank Weeda Law
- Joshua Valdez, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
- Juan Pio Hernandez, U.S. Seafood Distributors Association
- Kathy Simmons, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
- KatieRose McCullough, North American Meat Institute
- Lawrence Bryant, MICA
- Lia Biondo, American Dairy Coalition and United States Cattlemen’s Association
- Lindy Froebel, National Turkey Federation
- Lisa Picard, National Turkey Federation
- Mark Dopp, North American Meat Institute
- Pamela Abney, Mountaire Farms
- Randy Green, United Egg Association
- Reed Diskey, Olsson Frank Weeda Law
- Tiffanie Lee, North American Meat Institute
- Trachelle Carr, National Pork Producers Council
- Teleconference Attendance:
- Ashley Eisenbeisr, Food Marketing Institute
- Ashley Peterson, National Chicken Council
- Barbara Negron, North American Natural Casing Association
- Barry Carpenter, Food Safety Net Services
- Brian Sylvester, Foley & Lardner LLP
- Bryan Miller, Wayne Farms LLC
- Buffy Montgomery, Conagra Brands
- Charles Leftwich, Sysco
- Charlotte Waller, VPGC
- Christine Forgues, Hogan Lovells
- Dan Etzler, Cargill
- Dane Bernard, Bold Bear Food Safety
- Denise Heard, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association
- Hilary Thesmar, Food Marketing Institute
- Hiroko Bray, Smithfield
- Jennifer McEntire, United Fresh Produce Assn
- John P. Weeks, Jr, Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc.
- John Weeks, Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc.
- Juanfra DeVillena, Wayne Farms LLC
- Kara Schoonover, Foley & Lardner
- Katie Hanigan, Smithfield
- Keith Day, Twin Rivers Foods
- Kimberly Rice, Rose Acre Farms
- Kristen Spotz, Grocery Manufacturers Association
- Kristin Lindahl, Cargill
- Laura Bachmeier, National Pork Board
- Leonard Lang, Agro
- Lisa Weddig, National Fisheries Institute
- Mandy Carr, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
- Norm Robertson, North American Meat Institute
- Oscar Garrison, United Egg Producers
- Peter Matz, Food Marketing Institute
- Rafael Rivera, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association
- Riëtte van Laack, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara PC
- Roya Galindo, North American Meat Institute
- Stephanie Harris, Food Marketing Institute
- Suzanne Finstad, Tyson Foods, Inc.
- Tina Rendon, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.
- Travis Arp, U.S. Meat Export Federation
- Zach Cameron, Tyson
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