Blackstone private equity funds own Packer Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI), which earlier this year was found violating child labor laws at 13 meat processing plants in eight states.
In some instances, child labor was employed to perform food safety jobs such as cleaning dangerous equipment. Blackstone’s PSSI paid fines totaling
Continue Reading UFCW offers union contracts to help PSSI assist in the cleanup of the child labor scandal
— OPINION —
Everybody should be familiar with the story so far.
U.S. Department of Labor investigators in late 2022 and in early 2023, found more than 100 minor children doing mostly overnight work in slaughterhouses for some of the best-known meat and poultry brands. But in every case, the
Continue Reading Letter from the Editor: Taking it to the cleanersIn a two-part series, a daily newspaper in Montana documents 12 years of harassment by a vindictive federal supervisory inspector of some of the state’s small meat plants.
In “Feds admit harassing small Butte meat plant, but take no action” and “‘Legg regs’ take their toll on plants throughout
Continue Reading Abusive veterinarian turns FSIS Billings District into his own fiefdom, paper charges
Sometimes when a door swings open, opportunity for change has the chance to enter.
That’s what some members of the National Association of Federal Veterinarians are hoping will happen now that two top food safety positions at the U.S, Department of Agriculture are in line for new leadership.
On July
Continue Reading Former USDA officials say feds critically short of veterinarians
The USDA’S Food Safety and Inspection Service Friday amended its Officials’ Calendar of Meetings for July 2017, showing Kenneth Petersen of the OSI Group as the last party outside the federal government to meet with Al Almanza before he retired.
Al Almanza retired from the federal
Continue Reading Updated: OSI was last meeting on Almanza’s FSIS calendar
The mega-meat company JBS, racked recently by involvement in Brazil’s development bank and inspection bribery scandals that cost its top shareholders billions, is turning to a freshly retired U.S. food safety official to regain public confidence.
Al Almanza will be heading up food safety efforts worldwide
Continue Reading JBS taps Almanza to lead its food safety program worldwide
UPDATED: So far, so good. Secretary Perdue has named, on a temporary basis, two USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) career employees to the top jobs. Paul Kiecker is acting FSIS administrator and Carmen Rottenberg is acting deputy undersecretary for food safety.
A couple days ago we ran Al
Continue Reading Letter From The Editor: Fill USDA’s top food safety posts now
Editor’s note: Originally posted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a Constituent Update, this message from Al Almanza comes as he prepares for his last day on the job at the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. He is set to retire July 31.
After 39 years with
Continue Reading A farewell message from Al Almanza after 39 years with FSIS
James Marsden, top food safety official for Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, who joined the Denver-based burrito chain’s Food Safety Advisory Board in January, met on June 1 with top officials at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Hagen was USDA under secretary for food safety from 2010
Continue Reading Chipotle’s food safety officials recently visited Washington D.C.
The Al Almanza decade as USDA’s most important figure in food safety is ending, and Stephen Censky is coming in as deputy secretary to help Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue run the department.
Almanza, deputy under
Continue Reading Out with the old, in with the new-ish in USDA’s No. 2 post
