USDA Announces FSIS Reorganization, Establishes National Food Safety Center in Iowa

On April 23, 2026, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a reorganization of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that will move most of the agency's Washington, D.C.-based staff to locations outside the capital. A new National Food Safety Center in Urbandale, Iowa will consolidate administrative, training, and technical support functions for roughly 200 employees; a Science Center in Athens, Georgia will house the agency's microbiology, chemistry, and epidemiology work; and staff supporting international activities will be located in Fort Collins, Colorado. USDA said about two-thirds of the D.C. workforce would relocate to these or other locations, with a smaller footprint remaining in Washington for policy and congressional work, and stated that the reorganization involved no reductions in force and would not affect the agency's frontline inspection workforce — about 85% of FSIS employees, working in more than 6,800 establishments.