Al Almanza, administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and Anne MacMillan, USDA’s deputy chief of staff, are at the top of the shortlist for replacing outgoing Undersecretary for Food Safety Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, according to a report in Politico today. Almanza has been with USDA since 1978, when he began as a food inspector in Texas. MacMillan has been with USDA for several years. Previously she worked for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), when Pelosi was speaker of the house, working on issues related to agriculture, small business, veterans, and government oversight.
It was announced earlier this week that Dr. Hagen will join Deloitte & Touche in its consumer products practice as a food safety senior advisor, advising clients on increased regulatory requirements, food and product safety, supply chain, traceback, prevention-based policies, and strategy and communications. Hagen announced November 15 that she was stepping down from her post in December. She has served as undersecretary for food safety since August 2010. Pressure is being exerted by food safety and consumer advocacy groups for President Obama to appoint Hagen’s replacement quickly. Before Hagen was confirmed as undersecretary the position had been vacant for nearly two years.
