Paul Kiecker went to work as a USDA food inspector in 1988 and three decades later is the new leader of the Food Safety Inspection Service. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the appointment of Keicker as FSIS administrator on Tuesday, succeeding Carmen Rottenberg, who is leaving the government.
“Carmen is a true public servant and ushered in an era of modernization at the Food Safety and Inspection Service,” said Perdue. “This mission and drive will continue and advance with Paul Kiecker in his new leadership role.” Keiker spent his career in various FSIS roles, rising to deputy administrator in May 2018.
With a budget of roughly $1.1 billion a year and thousands of inspectors, FSIS oversees 6,400 slaughter and meat processing plants and import houses with the goal of ensuring meat, poultry and egg safety. In its budget package for the coming fiscal year, the Trump administration proposed a user fee, estimated at $590 million a year, “to cover all domestic inspection, import re-inspection, and most the the central operations costs for federal, state and international inspection programs for meat, poultry and egg products.”