FSIS Staffing Losses Put Small Meat Processing at Risk
Food safety has been in the news a lot this year, from produce to poultry. Amid these outbreaks, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has consistently reported dwindling staffing levels at nearly all federal agencies that oversee food safety. In late 2026, the staffing situation continues to deteriorate.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) faces an unprecedented staffing crisis, having lost approximately 20,000 employees since January 2025. Meanwhile, USDA remains in the throes of a major reorganization, caught in court, that will likely drive even more employees out of the Department. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the USDA agency responsible for ensuring that meat, poultry, and eggs sold in the United States are safe, has experienced relatively small staff losses compared to other agencies. However, the loss of food safety inspectors – the professionals on the …