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Member Agencies and Representatives

Agencies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CDC/NCEZID)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of our nation’s public health agencies, helps to protect America from health, safety, and security threats in the United States and overseas. CDC fights diseases—whether chronic or acute, curable or preventable, started at home or abroad, or caused by human error or deliberate attack. CDC supports communities and citizens in doing the same. CDC's unique role in food safety is to provide the vital link between illness in people and the food safety system by: 1) tracking emerging foodborne illness trends; and 2) identifying and investigating outbreaks to stop illnesses and identify gaps in the food safety system. CDC conducts applied research in the prevention, detection, and control of foodborne illness. It also oversees and participates in national networks and interagency working groups of state and local public health agencies, in coordination with FDA and USDA.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH)
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the U.S. federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. Workers are involved in the food production chain from farmers to delivery; processes that include varied biological and chemical exposures from pesticides to chemical flavoring additives and disinfectants. Risk assessments for biological, chemical and physical agents are core functions of the NIOSH mission.

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs (EPA/OPP)
The mission of EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) is to protect public health and the environment from the risks posed by pesticides and to promote safer means of pest control. OPP regulates the manufacture and use of all pesticides (including insecticides, herbicides, rodenticides, disinfectants, sanitizers and more) in the United States and establishes maximum levels for pesticide residues in food, thereby safeguarding the nation's food supply. In addition to our regulatory functions, we provide information and coordinate with partners and stakeholders on issues ranging from worker protection to misuse of pesticides.

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water (EPA/OW)
The Office of Water (OW) ensures drinking water is safe, and restores and maintains oceans, watersheds, and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health, support economic and recreational activities, and provide healthy habitat for fish, plants and wildlife. We work with States, Tribes, and other stakeholders to develop recommended safe water quality levels for toxics, nutrients, and pathogens to help ensure our nation's waters can be used for fishing, swimming, and drinking water.

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (FDA/CBER)
The mission of Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA is to ensure the safety, purity, potency, and effectiveness of biological products including vaccines, blood and blood products, and cells, tissues, and gene therapies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases, conditions, or injury. Through our mission, we also help to defend the public against the threats of emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism. Benefit-risk assessment has been used as a tool in CBER to inform the regulatory decisions in risk management of transfusion-transmission of infectious diseases and product licensure.

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN)
The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) is a science-based regulatory organization, within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for promoting and protecting the public’s health, by ensuring that the U.S. food supply is safe, secure, sanitary, and properly labeled, and for ensuring the safety and proper labeling of dietary supplements and cosmetic products. Risk assessments, safety assessments, and decision-analysis models and other tools that inform policy decisions about FDA-regulated foods, related products, and cosmetics are among the ways that CFSAN contributes to FDA’s public-health mission.

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM)
The Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is a science-based regulatory organization, within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for promoting and protecting the public’s health by ensuring that approved animal drugs and food additives for use in food for animals are safe and effective and that food for animals, including animal feed, pet food and pet treats, is made under sanitary conditions and is properly labeled. In evaluating the safety of drugs used for food-producing animals, the center determines use conditions under which the food products made from treated animals – meat, milk, and eggs – are safe for people to eat. Risk assessments, safety assessments, and decision-analysis models and other tools that inform policy decisions about CVM-regulated animal drugs, animal food, and animal food additives are among the ways that CVM contributes to FDA's public-health mission.

Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research (FDA/NCTR)
The National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) premier laboratory research center. NCTR conducts innovative scientific research to develop and support tools and approaches that FDA uses to protect and promote individual and public health. The multidisciplinary research teams at the NCTR provide innovative research to enhance safety-assessment protocols that provide FDA with more accurate and economical methods to address regulatory questions support of FDA’s mission to improve public health.

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID)
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducts and supports basic and applied research to better understand, treat, and ultimately prevent infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. For more than 60 years, NIAID research has led to new therapies, vaccines, diagnostic tests, and other technologies that have improved the health of millions of people in the United States and around the world. NIAID is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS)
The National Seafood Inspection Laboratory (NSIL) is a division of NOAA's Office of Sustainable Fisheries. The laboratory’s focus is on promoting seafood product safety and quality as well as seafood-related commerce and trade. NSIL supports the activities of the Office of Sustainable Fisheries (OSF) and NOAA’s Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection (IASI). Analytical capabilities assist in assuring the safety of U.S. seafood through analytical testing, method development and scientific expertise. The Trade Monitoring program supports the monitoring, traceability, and documentation of U.S. seafood imports and trade.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS)
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers programs that create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber, and specialty crops. AMS also provides the agriculture industry with valuable services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for consumers across the country. AMS’s Science and Technology Program administers the Pesticide Data Program (PDP), a national pesticide residue monitoring program that produces the most comprehensive pesticide residue database in the U.S. Through cooperation with State departments of agriculture and other Federal agencies, PDP tests for pesticide residues on agricultural commodities in the U.S. food supply, in particular, those commodities highly consumed by infants and children.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is a multi-faceted Agency with a broad mission area that includes protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. These efforts support the overall mission of USDA, which is to protect and promote food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS)
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chief scientific in-house research agency. ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and to provide information access and dissemination to ensure the safety of the food supply. Through research collaborations, the ARS Food Safety Program provides data for other Federal agencies to use in developing risk assessments. Participation in the IRAC allows ARS researchers to keep in contact with developments in risk assessment, and provide a forum for the agency to present the researcher's point of view.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Codex Office (USDA/USCO)
The U.S. Codex Office (USCO) mission is to engage stakeholders in the development and advancement of science-based food standards to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade worldwide. The USCO manages the planning, policy development, support, and coordination for U.S. involvement in the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and develops strategies to accomplish U.S. objectives. The USCO acts as the national focal point for the U.S. Codex Program and works closely with several federal agencies that provide senior staff and delegates to represent the United States in Codex committees.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS)
The mission of USDA's Economic Research Service is to anticipate trends and emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America and to conduct high-quality, objective economic research to inform and enhance public and private decision making. ERS research and analysis covers a broad range of economic and policy topics including food safety and food and nutrition. As a federal statistical agency covered by the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Statistical Policy Directives, ERS is responsible for ensuring the quality, objectivity, and transparency of the statistical information it provides. Our policies and procedures for publishing research and data are designed to ensure that we provide high quality and objective analysis.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS)
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is an agency within USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. FNS works to end hunger and obesity through the administration of 15 federal nutrition assistance programs including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and school meals. In partnership with State and Tribal governments, our programs serve one in four Americans during the course of a year. Working with our public, private and non-profit partners, our mission is to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education in a way that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence. No American should have to go hungry. We are committed to ensuring access to healthy and safe food for those participating in our programs including expecting mothers; infants and children in child care and school; and low-income families going to food banks, local farmers markets, and local supermarkets.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS)
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency, within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for the safety of meat, poultry and egg products. FSIS conducts data-driven, science-based risk assessment to develop food safety policies and guide its inspection programs to ensure the foods it regulates are achieving national food safety goals. FSIS continues to be a leader in microbiological risk assessment methodology and considers the IRAC to be an important forum for cross-agency coordination and information sharing, advancing the field of food safety risk assessment, and supporting the development or use of food safety risk assessment models, data and tools. FSIS co-chairs the IRAC policy council with FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN).

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS)
The USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of U.S. agriculture. Production and supplies of food and fiber, prices paid and received by farmers, farm labor and wages, farm finances, chemical use, and changes in the demographics of U.S. producers are only a few examples. NASS is committed to providing timely, accurate, and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture, while safeguarding the privacy of farmers, ranchers, and other data providers.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA)
Formed following the authorization in the 2008 Farm Bill, the USDA'S National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides leadership and funding for programs that advance and enhance impact of agriculture and related sciences. NIFA administers federal funding that invests in and supports initiatives that ensure the long-term viability of U.S. agriculture to address issues impacting people's daily lives and the Nation's future. NIFA collaborates with leading scientists, policymakers, experts, and educators in organizations throughout the world to find innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global problems, such as advancing competitiveness of American agriculture, bolstering the U.S. economy, enhancing the safety of the Nation's food supply, improving nutrition and well-being of American citizens, sustaining natural resources and the environment, and building energy independence. In partnership with other federal science agencies, NIFA also serves as a vital contributor to science policy decision-making.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Scientist (USDA/OCS)
The USDA Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) provides strategic coordination of the science that informs the Department's and the Federal government's decisions, policies and regulations that impact all aspects of U.S. food and agriculture and related landscapes and communities including food safety. Our work supports larger goals of scientific prioritization and coordination across the entire Department.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Pest Management Policy (USDA/OPMP)
The USDA Office of Pest Management Policy (OPMP) serves as a focal point for pesticide and pest management issues within USDA. OPMP integrates USDA's strategic planning and activities related to pest management, coordinates USDA's role in the pesticide regulatory process and related interagency affairs, primarily with EPA, and strengthens USDA's support for agriculture by promoting the development of new pest management approaches that meet the needs of an evolving and sustainable U.S. agricultural system. OPMP is an interdisciplinary team that combines expertise in agronomy, entomology, ecological and human health risk assessment, and economics.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Risk Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis (USDA/OCE/ORACBA)
The Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis (ORACBA) participates in the IRAC because of our interest in improving the methods and quality of risk assessments. ORACBA reviews all major (>$100 million impact) USDA proposed regulations affecting human health, safety, or the environment along with their accompanying risk assessments to assure adequacy. ORACBA provides guidance and training on conducting risk assessments and also helps coordinate risk assessments within USDA. In addition, ORACBA participates in IRAC to keep current with activities and developments at other Federal agencies as well as sharing new information and lessons learned.

U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, Veterinary Service Branch
The DoD Veterinary Service mission of veterinary public and animal health is managed and executed under the oversight of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Veterinary Services Branch (DHA VS). Its mission is coordinate with partner agencies and organizations to provide veterinary expertise for strategic level policy promulgation, provide executable policy implementation guidance, and provide compliance oversight of DoD veterinary services. The DoD veterinary service provides Food Protection (Food Safety/Defense) across the DoD, including preventive medicine and veterinary public health. They also provide animal health care for DoD and government-owned animals to include but not limited canines, equids, and marine mammals. This care encompasses comprehensive medical care, veterinary preventive medicine, zoonotic disease control, One health, deployment health, handler training, Role 1-4 care and management of Government-owned animals at Military Working Dog hospitals, medical procurement evaluations, interagency liaison and support and care to Privately Owned Animals owned by beneficiaries across all military Services. The veterinary services conducted in the DoD also encompasses support to Stability Operations and execution of Veterinary Global Health Engagements, training and readiness, support to Research, Training and Education and animal welfare oversight of the care and use of animals used in Research, Development, Training and Education conducted in the Continental United States and overseas in DoD programs, and support to US Government Federal Agencies through MOU/MOA's, Economy and Stafford Acts.

U.S. Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Biosecurity and Public Health (LANL/B-10)
A major threat to our Nation’s security is the uncontrolled outbreak of infectious disease. Stopping the spread of disease—from naturally occurring or manmade threats—requires an in-depth understanding of pathogens, how they work, the host response to pathogens, as well as advanced methods for detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Combining LANL capabilities gives Los Alamos a robust interdisciplinary approach to these types of biosecurity challenges. Our application portfolio includes everything from performing testing and evaluation for pathogen detection assays to developing decision support tools that can help with real-time disease surveillance and mitigation of health effects.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
USAID Mission Statement: “We partner to end extreme poverty and promote resilient and democratic societies while advancing our security and prosperity." Led by USAID, the U.S. Government's Feed the Future initiative is working to achieve global food security and sustainably reduce global hunger, poverty and malnutrition. Guided by the U.S. Government's Global Food Security Strategy, Feed the Future focuses efforts around three key objectives, 1) inclusive and sustainable agriculture-led economic growth, 2) strengthened resilience among people and systems, and 3) a well-nourished population, especially among women and children. A nutritious and safe diet that is free of biological and chemical contaminants is critical to having a well-nourished population. Our interventions are identifying, assessing and partnering to address food safety risks to ensure a safe diet.

Representatives

Agency

Technical Committee
Representative(s)

Policy Council
Representative

Original Signing Official

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CDC/NCEZID) Arthur Liang
apl1@cdc.gov
Sherri McGarry
nmc6@cdc.gov
Beth P. Bell
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (CDC/NCEZID)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH) Jennifer M. Lincoln
jxw7@cdc.gov
Jennifer M. Lincoln
jxw7@cdc.gov
Jennifer M. Lincoln
Associate Director
NIOSH’s Office of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Safety and Health
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticide Programs (EPA/OPP) Aaron Niman
niman.aaron@epa.gov
David Miller
miller.davidj@epa.gov
Jack E. Housenger
Director
Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water (EPA/OW) Shamima Akhter
Akhter.Shamima@epa.gov
Lesley D’Anglada
DAnglada.Lesley@epa.gov
Jeff Lape
Deputy Director
Office of Science and Technology,Office of Water, EPA
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (FDA/CBER) Artur Belov
Artur.Belov@fda.hhs.gov
Hong Yang
Hong.Yang@fda.hhs.gov
Steve Anderson
Director
Office of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, FDA, HHS
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN)

Jacqueline Heilman
Jacqueline.Heilman.fda.hhs.gov

Sofia Santillana-Farakos
(Technical Chair)
Sofia.SantillanaFarakos@fda.hhs.gov

Sherri Dennis
(Policy Council co-Chair)
Sherri.Dennis@fda.hhs.gov
Susan Mayne
Director
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA, HHS
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA/CVM) Mary Bartholomew
Mary.Bartholomew@fda.hhs.gov
Barry Hooberman
Barry.Hooberman@fda.hhs.gov
Steven Solomon
Director
Center for Veterinary Medicine, FDA, HHS
Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research (FDA/NCTR) Wen Zou
Wen.Zou@fda.hhs.gov
Steven Foley
Steven.Foley@fda.hhs.gov
William Slikker
Director
National Center for Toxicological Research, FDA, HHS
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NIAID)

TBD

TBD

Lawrence A. Tabak
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, HHS
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) Patricia Rabideau
patricia.rabideau@noaa.gov
Jon Bell
Jon.Bell@noaa.gov
Alan Risenhoover
Director
Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA/AMS)

Shanker Reddy
Shanker.Reddy@ams.usda.gov

Paul Lewis
PaulI.Lewis@ams.usda.gov

Shanker Reddy
Shanker.Reddy@ams.usda.gov
Anne Alonzo
Administrator
Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS)

TBD

TBD

Cindy Smith
Administrator
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS)

Andy Hwang
Andy.Hwang@ars.usda.gov

Vijay Juneja
Vijay.Juneja@ars.usda.gov

Thomas Oscar
Thomas.Oscar@ars.usda.gov

James Lindsay
James.Lindsay@ars.usda.gov
Edward B. Knipling
Administrator
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (USDA/ERS) Sandra Hoffmann
shoffmann@ers.usda.gov
Sandra Hoffmann
shoffmann@ers.usda.gov
Mary Bohman
Administrator
Economic Research Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (USDA/FNS)

TBD

TBD
Diane Kriviski
Deputy Administrator
Special Nutrition and Safety Programs,Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA/FSIS)

Janell Kause
(Policy Council Co-Chair)
mailto:janell.kause@usda.gov

Joanna Zablotsky-Kufel
(Policy Council Co-Chair)
Joanna.Zablotsky-Kufel@fsis.usda.gov

Paul Kiecker
Acting Administrator
Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS)

Theresa Varner
Theresa_Varner@nass.usda.gov

Doug Farmer
doug.farmer@usda.gov

Cynthia Clark
Administrator
National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) TBD
TBD
Roger N. Beachy
Director
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Chief Scientist (USDA/OCS) Melanie Abley
melanie.abley@usda.gov
Melanie Abley
melanie.abley@usda.gov
Catherine Woteki
Chief Scientist
Office of the Chief Scientist, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Pest Management Policy (USDA/OPMP)

Elyssa Arnold
elyssa.arnold@usda.gov

Julie Van Alstine
julie.vanalstine@usda.gov

Kimberly Nesci
Kimberly.Nesci@usda.gov

Sheryl Kunickis
Director
Office of Pesticide Management Policy, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Risk Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis (USDA/OCE/ORACBA) Mark Powell
mpowell@oce.usda.gov
Linda Abbott
LAbbott@oce.usda.gov
Robert Johansson
Chief Economist
Office of the Chief Economist, USDA
U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Codex Office (USDA/USCO) Julie Chao
julie.chao@usda.gov
Julie Chao
julie.chao@usda.gov
Mary Frances Lowe
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius
U.S. Codex Office, USDA
U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency, Veterinary Service Branch Col. Lisa Read
lisa.t.read.mil@health.mil
Col. Lisa Read
Chief, Plans and Operations, Veterinary Service Branch Public Health Division, Defense Health Agency Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Energy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Biosecurity and Public Health (LANL/B-10)

TBD

Karen Davenport
kwdavenport@lanl.gov

TBD

Tracy Erkkila
Bioscience Division
Los Alamos National Laboratory
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Rebekah Pinto
repinto@usaid.gov

Rufino Perez
ruperez@usaid.gov

Omar Dary
odary@usaid.gov

Ahmed Kablan
akablan@usaid.gov

Alfonso E. Lenhardt
Acting Administrator for U.S. Agency for International Development