Dr. Emilio Esteban is leaving the USDA to take a job with Mérieux NutriSciences as Chief Scientific Officer for its North America division and head of its Global Analytical Hub.
President Joe Biden appointed Esteban as the nation’s sixth Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The post is the country’s highest food safety position. Esteban worked for the agency since 2001.
Esteban worked in several roles at the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Beginning in 2018, he held the position of chief scientist at the FSIS.
Before joining the USDA, Esteban worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an epidemic intelligence service officer, staff epidemiologist, and assistant director of the food safety office.
He serves as the chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene. This committee helps define food hygiene standards for international trade. Esteban also works as vice president of the International Association for Food Protection.
Esteban trained as a veterinarian in Mexico. He holds an MBA, a master’s degree in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of California-Davis.
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