<\/p>\n
Hagen joined the USDA during the Bush administration so she’s neither a fresh face nor someone who is untainted by the food safety failings of the last few years. But neither does she appear to be an industry flunky. While I would have preferred an outsider who might come in and shake up the ossified USDA food safety culture, that was clearly too much to ask. It’s also true that no one outside of USDA seems to have had many dealings with Hagen, but hope abounds (via Food Safety News<\/a>):<\/p>\n Carol Tucker-Foreman, a distinguished fellow at The Food Policy<\/p>\n Institute at Consumer Federation of America, responded to the<\/p>\n announcement with guarded optimism. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Consumer Better recalls are certainly a start (if for no other reason than to give bloggers a break<\/a>). Yet it strikes me that nothing in the pick undermines the argument that the FDA’s newly minted deputy commissioner for foods Michael Taylor is the true “national” head of food safety right now<\/a>. That’s neither a good nor a bad thing, just political reality. And with the top jobs now filled, there’s no further excuse for inaction. At some point soon, in the course of fixing our broken system, Hagen and Taylor will have to take a stand: Is the future of meat safety in this country one of decontamination and post-hoc treatments<\/a> for routinely infected products (aka “Zap the Crap”)? Or will the USDA attack the root causes<\/a> of pathogens in our meat—an unrelenting focus on low quality, high quantity production methods. Dr. Hagen, please surprise us.<\/p>\n Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Battle for the soul of organic dairy farmers goes on behind the scenes<\/a><\/p>\n USDA’s Deputy Secretary discusses local, organic farming<\/a><\/p>\n Lesson for schools: sweetened junk shouldn’t count as food<\/a><\/p>\n
advocates who work closely with the FSIS on policy issues have had
limited direct experience with Dr. Hagen. We have been told, however,
that she has been a strong advocate for improved food safety policies
and has urged the agency to be more aggressive in asking companies to
initiate recalls.”<\/p>\n
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