Belatedly, Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban was confirmed by the Senate on the last day of the 117th Congress as the USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety.  He was nominated to the position on November 15, 2021 and was reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry during September 2022. The Senate took up the nomination only on December 22nd.

Previously Dr. Esteban served as the Chief Scientist at the FSIS and has worked with the Agency since 2001.  He has filled positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a staff epidemiologist and Assistant Director of the Food Safety Office.  He is the Vice president of the International Association for Food Protection and is Chair of the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene.  Dr. Esteban obtained his veterinary degree in Mexico and subsequently master’s degrees in preventive veterinary medicine and a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California-Davis. He also earned a Masters in Business Administration.

Ted McKinney CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture stated, “Dr. Esteban is a remarkable scientist and perhaps even more important an exceptional communicator when it comes to helping others understand the science behind our food.”

His nomination was strongly supported by producers’ associations and industry groups based on his education, experience and proven qualities of leadership.