President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Jose Emilio Esteban as the Under Secretary for Food Safety at the Department of Agriculture. Dr. Esteban is currently the Chief Scientist for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), a position he has held since 2018. As Chief Scientist, Dr. Esteban provides scientific advice to support agency policies including the disciplines of microbiology, chemistry, and pathology. This is his fourth position within FSIS, all within the Office of Public Health Science. Prior to his current assignment, he was Executive Associate for Laboratory Services, the Scientific Advisor for Laboratory Services and Research Coordination, and the Laboratory Director for the Western Laboratory, where he started his tenure at USDA FSIS in 2006.
Prior to joining USDA, he worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Staff Epidemiologist, and Assistant Director of the Food Safety Office.