Members of the Safe Food Coalition submitted the following comments on the proposed reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was first announced on May 11, 2017. Among other changes, the reorganization would create a new Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, who would chair an inter-agency committee that includes the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The comments express support for maintaining the independence of USDA’s food safety functions, and caution against advancing trade objectives at the expense of food safety. They further urge the Trump Administration to take swift action to appoint a qualified public health expert as the next USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, and call for transparency and opportunities for public participation as implementation of the reorganization proposal goes forward.
