USDA taps 21 for food safety committee

WASHINGTON — Twenty-one new appointees will join nine returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Oct. 27.

NACMCF committee members are appointed based on their expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines, USDA said. One individual affiliated with a consumer group is included in the membership of the committee, and five members are federal government employees representing the five federal agencies involved in NACMCF.

The newly appointed NACMCF members to serve a two-year term are:

• Bledar Bisha, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo.
• Heather Carleton, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta
• Anna Carlson, Cargill Protein, Wichita, Kan.
• Hayriye Cetin-Karaca, Smithfield Foods, Springdale, Ohio
• Ben Chapman, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
• Vik Dutta, bioMérieux, Chicago
• Larry Figgs, Douglas County Health Department, Omaha, Neb.
• David Goldman, Groundswell Strategy, Arlington, Va.
• Michael Hansen, Consumer Reports, Yonkers, NY
• Arie Havelaar, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
• Ramin Khaksar, Clear Labs, San Carlos, Calif.
• Lt. Col. Noel Kubat, Department of Defense, US Army Veterinary Corps, Fort Knox, Ky.
• KatieRose McCullough, North American Meat Institute, Washington
• Indaue Giriboni de Mello, Newman’s Own, Westport, Conn.
• Eric Moorman, Butterball LLC, Garner, NC
• Abani Pradhan, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.
• Shivrajsinh Rana, Reckitt, Parsippany, NJ
• Marcos Sanchez Plata, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
• Kristin Schill, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, Wis.
• Nikki Shariat, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
• Abigail Snyder, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

The full list of committee members can be found here.

The committee reports provide current information and scientific advice to federal food safety agencies such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service, and Department of Defense Veterinary Services. The reports serve as a foundation for regulations and programs aimed at reducing foodborne disease and enhancing public health, according to USDA.

“NACMCF members bring a wealth of expertise and dedication to the critical mission of ensuring the safety of our nation’s meat and poultry products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Their contributions will help us continue to strengthen our nation’s food supply and protect the health and well-being of American consumers.”

NACMCF will hold a virtual public meeting of the full committee and subcommittees Nov. 14-16. In addition to welcoming the new members, the committee will introduce a new charge from FSIS on genomic characterization of pathogens.

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