President Trump has again nominated Mindy Brashears to be USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety. 

Brashears served as Undersecretary for Food Safety for the last 303 days of Trump’s first term, which turned out to be the most significant period for any Under Secretary for Food Safety in history, as

Continue Reading President nominates Mindy Brashears to a second term as USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety

If the U.S. Senate can stay focused for long enough today, Jose Emilio Esteban will likely be confirmed as the nation’s sixth undersecretary for food safety. He’s been waiting for 340 days

With a Senate confirmation vote, Esteban will move up from being the chief scientist at USDA’s Food Safety

Continue Reading Senate could confirm Esteban for USDA post as early as today

A-two year-old federal lawsuit brought by three non-governmental organizations claims USDA’s New Swine Inspection System undermines federal inspectors charged with protecting consumers from foodborne illness.

A federal judge in California has found “the matter suitable for disposition without oral argument.”

The Center for Food Safety, Food & Water Watch, and
Continue Reading For now, only written arguments will be allowed to decide case on new swine inspection system

The U.S. Senate will have to step it up a notch to confirm Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban as the USDA’s Under Secretary for Food Safety before the year ends.

President Biden nominated Esteban to serve in the post Nov.12. Esteban is currently Chief Scientist for USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Continue Reading No Senate action yet to confirm Esteban as USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety

Food safety attorney Bill Marler wants to know what’s up with his petition calling on the USDA to declare specific “outbreak serotypes” of Salmonella as adulterants in meat.

He filed the petition more than a year ago, on Jan. 19, 2020, with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), on
Continue Reading Marler renews call for declaring ‘outbreak serotypes’ of Salmonella as adulterants in meat and poultry

Opinion

The transition is our quadrennial gift for the National Capital Region’s real estate market because lot’s of moves are made.   

The Biden Administration has about 4,000 jobs to fill, and about 1,250 of those are political appointments that require U.S. Senate confirmation. The Washington Post and the Partnership for
Continue Reading Letter from The Editor: A modest proposal for a better transition

Opinion

Editor’s note: Steven Mandernach, AFDO executive director, presented these comments on the organization’s salmonella position earlier this fall.

Let me start by thanking Under Secretary Dr. Mindy Brashears and FSIS (USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service) for the opportunity to provide comment on this important topic.

The Association of
Continue Reading Food and drug officials weigh in on federal Salmonella rules for poultry