Washington, D.C., January 26, 2010 -

The National Pork Producers Council today applauded President Obama for his nomination of Dr. Elisabeth Hagen as undersecretary for food safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hagen currently is USDA’s chief medical officer, working on human health issues, and previously served as a senior executive at the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which oversees meat, poultry and eggs. Hagen played a key role in developing and executing the FSIS scientific and public health agendas.

“Dr. Hagen will be a tremendous asset to USDA in its efforts to protect our nation’s food supply,” said NPPC President Don Butler. “She brings a wealth of knowledge on food-safety issues, and we look forward to working with her.

“We applaud President Obama for this excellent nomination, and we urge the Senate to quickly confirm Dr. Hagen.”

A graduate of Harvard Medical School and St. Joseph’s University, Hagen taught and practiced medicine in the private and academic sectors. She completed specialty medical training at the University of Texas Southwestern and the University of Pennsylvania and is a board certified expert in infectious diseases.

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