The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has appointed Ben Chapman, head of the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences and director of the Safe Plates food safety extension and research program, to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).

Members of the committee are chosen based on their expertise in microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science and other relevant disciplines. Chapman is among 21 new members appointed to the committee to serve a two-year term.

The committee’s reports provide current information and scientific advice to federal food safety agencies and serve as a foundation for regulations and programs aimed at reducing foodborne disease and enhancing public health. Federal food safety agencies involved with NACMCF are USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Commerce National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Defense Veterinary Services.