NC State names new poultry science head

On January 9, 2026, in Industry Notes, by Tom Super

Aaron Kiess, Braswell Distinguished Professor in NC State University’s Prestage Department of Poultry Science, took the helm as interim department head effective Jan. 2. Prior to joining NC State in 2021, Kiess spent 13 years as a faculty member in the Department of Poultry Science at Mississippi State University, where he worked with poultry companies to address pre- and post-harvest food safety issues.

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Chicken exports in September 2025 decreased 3.4 percent in quantity; decreased 4.1 percent in value when compared with September 2024, according to USDA.

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U.S. total broiler slaughter data for the week ending January 3, 2026, is estimated by USDA’s Poultry Market News Service to be 145,304,000 broilers, a 7-percent increase from the same week a year earlier.

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Senators voted yesterday to confirm four Trump administration nominees responsible for overseeing key agriculture programs and negotiations. The picks were confirmed in a 53-43 vote on a batch of more than 90 nominees spanning several federal agencies. Senate Republicans changed the chamber’s rules earlier this year to allow for block votes on certain nominees. Dr. Mindy Brashears was confirmed to serve as USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety, returning to a role she held during President Trump’s first term. Senators also approved Dr. Julie Callahan to serve as the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recently announced an update to its guidelines for label approval that focuses on clarifying the requirements for voluntary U.S.-origin label claims on FSIS-regulated products. The agency summarized the revisions to the recently updated label approval guidelines in a regulatory notice.

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