Food Safety News has learned that Brian Ronholm has been named acting under secretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Brian Ronholm joined USDA in April 2011 as deputy under secretary for food safety. He previously served as an Agriculture Appropriations associate on the staff of Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), managing issues related to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. There is no official word on who will permanently replace Elisabeth Hagen in the position, but POLITICO reports that Anne MacMillan, USDA’s deputy chief of staff, and Al Almanza, Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) administrator, are at the top of the list of potential nominees. Hagen’s last day in the position was Dec. 13, after “an ambitious three years” as under secretary. She now moves on to consulting firm Deloitte as a food safety senior advisor. It’s unclear when President Obama intends to announce his nomination for the position. Hagen was sworn in as the highest food-safety official in the federal government in August 2010 after the position had been vacant for more than a year. Food safety advocates are hoping her successor is appointed much more quickly.
The News Desk team at Food Safety News covers breaking developments, regulatory updates, recalls, and key topics shaping food safety today. These articles are produced collaboratively by our editorial staff.
Bongkrekic acid and the illegal use of a substance to give the appearance of fish freshness were examples of emerging risks discussed in a recent report about problems in Europe
The majority of countries are finding implementing food safety culture controls difficult, according to a European Commission survey.
The report looked at the state of food safety culture controls in
Ireland’s largest Listeria outbreak and plans to introduce a food hygiene rating system are among the highlights of the Irish food agency’s annual report.
According to the Food
The European Commission has assessed histamine controls in fishery products with training highlighted as one of the major problems.
Histamine toxicity, also known as scombroid poisoning, is associated with consumption
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is alerting the public to a significant increase in Salmonella cases and asking people to be aware of the symptoms.
As of
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for a Steak, Cilantro, Lime Burrito product because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen.
Lidl US is recalling all units of Eridanous Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate Truffle Coating & Apricot Filling in 11.6-ounce boxes with the UPC number 4056489125839 with foreign language
