The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has appointed of 13 new members and 17 returning members to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).

The NACMCF has scheduled a public meeting of the full committee and subcommittees from Nov. 17 to 19, 2021. The committee will discuss enhancing Salmonella control in poultry products and Cyclospora cayetanensis contamination. For more details about NACMCF or to register to attend this meeting, go to the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/federal-register-rulemaking/federal-register-notices.

Federal food safety agencies involved with NACMCF are USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Department of Defense Veterinary Services.

Members of the committee are chosen based on their expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines. One individual affiliated with a consumer group is included in the membership of the committee to serve in a representational capacity.

“As we invest in strengthening our food systems by supporting improved production and processing, NACMCF members offer expert advice on scientific and technical food safety issues,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in an announcement about the appointments. “These individuals will play a significant role in helping to ensure the safety of our nation’s food supply.”

The activities of NACMCF are carried out, in part, by subcommittees that are focused on specific areas being considered by the full committee. The committee reports provide current information and scientific advice to federal food safety agencies and serve as a foundation for regulations and programs aimed at reducing foodborne disease and enhancing public health.

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

• Teshome Yehualaeshet, Tuskegee University
• Yaohua (Betty) Feng, Purdue University
• Bing Wang, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Randy W. Worobo, Cornell University
• Mahipal Kunduru, Topco Associates LLC
• Elisabetta Lambertini, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
• Joelle Mosso, Eurofins
• Max Teplitski, Produce Marketing Association
• Joseph (Stan) Bailey, bioMérieux
• Tanya Roberts, Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention
• Janell Kause, USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service
• Andreas Keller, HHS, Food and Drug Administration
• Lt. Col. Audrey McMillan-Cole, DVM, DoD, Defense Logistics Agency

See the full list of NACMCF members.

The NACMCF was established in 1988, in response to a recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences for an interagency approach to microbiological criteria for foods, and in response to a recommendation of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, as expressed in the Rural Development, Agriculture, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill for fiscal year 1988.

NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health issues relative to the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply, including development of microbiological criteria and review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The Committee also provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Departments of Commerce and Defense. More information on NACMCF is available on the FSIS website.