Agriculture Secretary Appoints New NACMPI Members

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the appointment of members to the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) for the 2012-2014 term.

Established in 1971, the 17-member NACMPI meets on food safety concerns and advises the Secretary of Agriculture on matters affecting federal and state inspection program activities. It also contributes to USDA's regulatory policy development.

"The diverse perspectives on food safety that the NACMPI members bring are invaluable to our success in ensuring the safety of the foods we eat," said Vilsack.

Vilsack continued, "I am firmly committed to aggressively decreasing the incidence of foodborne illnesses and the support of these outstanding individuals will be instrumental in our work to protect the American people's food supply."

The new NACMPI members are: Dr. Carol Lorenzen - University of Missouri; Ms. Sherika Harvey - Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce; Dr. John Marcy - University of Arkansas Center of Excellence for Poultry Science; Mr. Christopher Waldrop - Consumer Federation of America; and Dr. Michael Rybolt - Hillshire Brands Company.

Returning members of the committee are: Patricia Buck - Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention; Dr. Fur-Chi Chen - Tennessee State University; Nancy J. Donley - STOP Foodborne Illness, Inc.; Dr. Veneranda Gapud - Process Management Consulting; Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Sarah A. Klein - Center for Science in the Public Interest; Robert G. Reinhard - Hillshire Brands Company; Dr. Craig E. Shultz, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Dr. John Tilden - Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development; Steve E. Warshawer - Mesa Top Farm; Dr. J. Byron Williams, Mississippi State University; and Leonard W. Winchester - Public Health - Seattle and King County, Washington State.

As previously announced, NACMPI will host public meetings Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day in the first floor auditorium of the Patriot Plaza III building, located at 355 E St., SW, Washington, DC 20024.