USDA appoints administration officials to its food safety agency

USA – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced the appointment of Carmen Rottenberg and Paul Kiecker to the positions of administrator and deputy administrator respectively within USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

“Providing all Americans access to a safe and secure food supply is one of USDA’s critical missions,” said Secretary Perdue.

“Carmen and Paul have been instrumental in carrying out this mission and will continue to lead FSIS in their new roles.”

Before the appointment, Carmen was Deputy Administrator for FSIS, and since August 2017 as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Office of Food Safety.

At FSIS, she also worked as Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff with roles including modernization of inspection systems and implementation of science-based and innovative solutions to better protect consumers from foodborne illnesses.

FSIS said that throughout her roles, she ensured that FSIS programs are customer-focused and delivered efficiently, effectively and with integrity.

Carmen, a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree from Hope College and a Juris Doctorate from American University, will continue to serve as Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety until a nominee for this position has been confirmed by the Senate, according to the company.

Paul Kiecker served as Acting Administrator for FSIS since August 2017 leading and strategically guiding FSIS’s mission-critical programs aimed at protecting public health.

At FSIS, he held various roles including as a District Manager, Executive Associate for Regulatory Operations and most recently as Deputy Assistant Administrator for FSIS’s Office of Field Operations.

FSIS is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture responsible for public health regulation and ensuring that United States’ commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food products that are under the jurisdiction of the FSIS, and thus subject to inspection, are those that contain more than 3% meat or 2% poultry products, with several exceptions and egg products (liquid, frozen or dried).