State officials seek investigation of food-inspection agency

BUTTE, Mont. – Montana’s congressional delegation wants an independent investigation of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

The Montana Standard reports Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte outlined their concerns about what they termed “alleged misconduct” within the agency in a jointly signed letter to the Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The delegation is seeking an investigation of the way the agency has treated Montana meat plants from the Inspector General’s office. The Inspector General is tasked with promoting “economy, efficiency, and integrity in U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and operations through the successful execution of audits, investigations, and reviews.”