Former FDA Lead Shares New Food Security Mission
Mike Taylor’s planned departure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was announced by the agency in March. Today, Taylor has finally given some insight as to what he will do now that he is no longer the Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine.
Going forward, Taylor’s focus will largely be on food security.
In an email sent to select industry friends and colleagues, Taylor says, “We all know how strongly the public and private spheres intersect – and sometimes clash – around food policy, but perhaps the strongest lesson I learned through our work enacting and implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act is how much we can achieve when the fundamental interests of consumers, industry and government are aligned, as I believe they largely are when it comes to the broad goals of food security and the long-term success of the food system.”
Taylor goes on to publicly announce that he will be seeking opportunities to apply that lesson, and contribute to expanding public-private collaboration on food security, as a senior fellow at Freedman Consulting, LLC, in Washington, D.C.--a firm founded by Tom Freedman, Taylor’s long-time friend and colleague.
Additionally, in the coming months, Taylor will act as an advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Food and Society Program--led by Corby Kummer--helping to address food system challenges and pursue opportunities to better meet the needs of consumers and society at large.
Taylor plans to hit the ground running in his new roles after taking well-deserved break in June and July. His previous FDA role is now occupied by Dr. Stephen Ostroff.
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