"There will be no reduction in inspection presence at slaughter and processing facilities and no risk for consumers," Hagen said. "Not only do we have a statutory obligation to be in every facility, we have an unwavering commitment to food safety," she added. "We will still be on the job, in every facility, every day."
Vilsack said he didn't anticipate widespread layoffs, in part because 7,000 USDA employees took early retirements over the past year. He said the agency is trying to do more with less in light of federal cutbacks, and many of the offices to be closed had few employees or were near other offices.