Michael Watson, APHIS Administrator, plans to retire at the end of January 2026, and Rosemary Sifford, deputy administrator for veterinary services and US chief veterinary officer, has recently retired from federal service.
Beginning Feb. 1, 2026, Kelly Moore serves as acting administrator and effective immediately, Alan Huddleston serves as acting US chief veterinary officer.
Priorities include protecting the integrity of US agriculture from invasive species. and improving human health through precision nutrition and food quality.
Nevada becomes the 30th state with an approved MPI program, supporting more than 1,500 small processors nationwide with the benefit of state inspection.
The National Chicken Council urges the use of a uniform, science-based approach to characterizing foods – one that prioritizes nutritional composition and ingredient function over the number of processing steps or ingredients.
As the FDA and USDA move to develop a uniform definition of ultra-processed foods, NCC contends that the agencies should bolster existing frameworks and consumer education as science evolves, instead of pursuing a classification system at all.