President Obama Announces Appointment of Under Secretary for Food Safety

Yesterday, President Obama announced that he intends to appoint Dr. Elisabeth Hagen as Under Secretary for Food Safety at USDA, according to The Hill Blog.

This appointment "comes as Congress prepares to debate food-safety legislation that would greatly expand the Food and Drug Administration's power to regulate the nation's food supply."

Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, released a statement on Dr. Hagen's appointment, stating, "There is no higher priority at USDA than ensuring that Americans have access to a safe and healthy food supply, and Dr. Hagen's background as Chief Medical Officer and senior executive within USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service will enable her to successfully lead the effort to develop and execute the agency's scientific and public health agenda . . ."

Dr. Hagen previously served as the USDA's Chief Medical Officer, a senior executive at USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).  She hold a M.D. from Harvard Medical School and she has experience teaching and practicing medicine in private and academic sectors.  Her specialty medical training is in infectious diseases and her experience includes research and publication in this area.

To read The Hill Blog story, click here.
To read the Statement from Secretary Vilsack, click here.

Posted: 08/20/2010