FSIS Reorganization Establishes Iowa Hub and Georgia Science Center to Boost Food Safety

USDA announced a major FSIS reorganization to modernize operations, creating a National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa (about 200 staff) and a Science Center in Athens, Georgia to expand microbiology, chemistry, and epidemiology work; roughly two-thirds of FSIS’s National Capital Region workforce will relocate to these mission-critical locations, with about 200 positions moving from Washington, D.C. and 100 remaining to support policy and coordination, plus a presence in Fort Collins, Colorado for international activities. The frontline inspection workforce (~85% of FSIS staff) will not be reduced, and all inspections will continue uninterrupted as the agency streamlines administration and strengthens public health protections.