The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is soliciting nominations for membership to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF).

There are 15 vacancies on the advisory committee. All nomination packages must be received by March 15, 2023.

USDA is seeking NACMCF nominees with scientific expertise in the fields of microbiology, risk assessment, epidemiology, public health, food science, and other relevant disciplines, to obtain the scientific perspective, expertise, and experience of all stakeholders. USDA is seeking nominations for NACMCF from persons in academia, industry, and state governments, as well as all other interested persons with the required expertise. Members can serve on only one USDA advisory committee at a time.

The committee provides valuable advice to USDA and other government agencies on a number of issues. Recently, the committee provided the best scientific information available on controlling Salmonella in poultry. The committee is currently addressing Cronobacter in powdered infant formula for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and also anticipates charge from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) related to the benefits of genomic characterization of pathogens.

Established in 1988, NACMCF provides scientific advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on public health issues relative to the safety and wholesomeness of the U.S. food supply, including development of microbiological criteria and review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The committee also provides scientific advice and recommendations to the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Defense.

Those who have questions about nominations can contact John Jarosh, Designated Federal Officer, by telephone at 510-671-4397, by email to NACMCF@usda.gov, or by mail to: John Jarosh, USDA, FSIS, Office of Public Health Science, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 1131, Washington, DC 20250.

Update, March 27, 2023: FSIS is extending the nomination period until April 17, 2023, to provide interested persons with additional time to submit their nomination packages.