Sandra Eskin, director of food safety for the Pew Charitable Trusts, was appointed deputy undersecretary for food safety, announced the USDA on Tuesday. The deputy undersecretary is the second-ranking official in the USDA’s food safety arm; the Biden administration has yet to nominate an undersecretary, so Eskin will be the top food safety official in the interim.
Before joining Pew in 2009, Eskin worked for 20 years as a public policy consultant to consumer and public interest groups on issues ranging from food safety and dietary supplement safety to food and drug labeling and advertising. She has also served on numerous federal advisory committees.
“Sandra’s deep experience in food safety will strengthen USDA’s dedication to ensuring a safe, secure food supply for consumers and help to protect the safety of federal meat inspectors and workers throughout the food chain,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.