Al Almanza and Carmen Rottenberg are keeping the coffee hot at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) but they are not getting many takers during this transition in government period.
Continue Reading Not a lot of outsider demand for meetings with “acting” agency heads
Al Almanza
FSIS steps up hotline and online chat services to improve food safety
The Meat and Poultry Hotline and the “Ask Karen” online chat service have gone to expanded hours, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Both consumer lines are for…
Continue Reading FSIS steps up hotline and online chat services to improve food safety
USDA beefs up scrutiny of Brazilian beef amid bribery scandal
None of the slaughter or processing facilities targeted by the Federal Police in Brazil have shipped meat products to the United States, according to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).
Nevertheless, FSIS immediately instituted…
Continue Reading USDA beefs up scrutiny of Brazilian beef amid bribery scandal
Vacant positions are slowing things down at FDA and FSIS
While the Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price says we can expect the next Food and Drug Administrator commissioner to be named soon, significant meetings held by designated FDA policy makers with persons…
Continue Reading Vacant positions are slowing things down at FDA and FSIS
January saw few outside meetings for top food safety officials
The federal government’s transition month of January saw only a handful of meetings involving top food safety officials and members of the public.
Both the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and U.S. Food…
Continue Reading January saw few outside meetings for top food safety officials
USDA saying less during transition, but scientists not gagged
Reports of a black out on public information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service are vastly overblown.
ARS Chief of Staff Sharon Drumm did send out a three-line email Tuesday to the…
Continue Reading USDA saying less during transition, but scientists not gagged
Storms and stability ahead for food safety efforts in 2017
Food safety in 2017 will be dependent on our “complicated bureaucracies” that exist to get through transitions and times of change. Both USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug…
Continue Reading Storms and stability ahead for food safety efforts in 2017
Almanza ends his deputy undersecretary appointment with plenty of meetings
When his appointment as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety comes to an end on Jan. 20, 2017, Al Almanza, who never gave up his career employee status, will just switch back to being Administrator…
Continue Reading Almanza ends his deputy undersecretary appointment with plenty of meetings
Don’t poison the family: Wash your hands, not the turkey
Editor’s note: Provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Millions of Americans are about to gather family and friends around the dinner table to give thanks. But for those preparing…
Continue Reading Don’t poison the family: Wash your hands, not the turkey
USDA says activists off the mark with catfish complaints
The activist group Food and Water Watch is down as a “strong supporter” of the catfish program now underway in USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). It would, however, like to see more progress…
Continue Reading USDA says activists off the mark with catfish complaints