The FERN Steering Committee is comprised of representatives from federal and state laboratories and agencies that have direct involvement in food safety and security. Members are appointed by senior officials from federal, state, or organizational affiliations. These include:

• The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Regulatory Affairs (FDA/ORA)
• The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN)
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture/Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS)
• The USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS)
• The USDA/Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS)