On September 15, 2010 the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Dr. Elisabeth Hagen as the nation’s top food safety official.  In her first public address in her new position, Dr. Hagen will speak at the National Food Policy Conference on Thursday, September 23. Her speech will take place at 11:00am at the Renaissance Washington DC hotel.

For 33 years, the National Food Policy Conference has been a Washington institution and a unique collaboration between consumer advocates, government and the food industry. It is a key national gathering for those interested in agriculture, food and nutrition policy. The meeting is coordinated by the Consumer Federation of America in cooperation with the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Dr. Hagen was nominated to be Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on January 26, 2010.  The Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food Safety is the highest ranking U.S. government official working in this vital public health field and is responsible for establishing policy to assure the safety of the nation’s meat, poultry and processed egg supply for overseeing the operation of the Food Safety and Inspection Service, and, as a member of the White House Food Safety Working Group, for developing overall Administration food safety policy. President Obama established the Working Group to provide oversight and coherence to the nation’s food safety programs which are scattered among multiple agencies.

A physician certified in infectious disease and graduate of the Harvard Medical School, Dr. Hagen previously was the Chief Medical Officer for the USDA.  She assumed the Under Secretary position last month under a recess appointment by the President.