Michael R. Taylor, a nationally-recognized food safety expert and research professor from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, will return to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to serve as senior advisor to the commissioner.

"I am pleased to welcome Mike Taylor back to the FDA," said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg via press release. "His expertise and leadership on food safety issues will help the agency to develop and implement the prevention based strategy we need to ensure the safety of the food we eat."

United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel also expressed support for Taylor's appointment. "I would certainly say that he is a respected leader in food safety and brings strong expertise to FDA," Stenzel said. "We look forward to working with Mike and his team on the critical issue of food safety."

According to Hamburg, Taylor will work closely and collaboratively with her office and with the management of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Veterinary Medicine, the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Congress, and with members of the Obama Administration.

"I am honored and grateful that Commissioner Hamburg has asked me to return to the FDA in the position of senior advisor to the commissioner," Taylor said. "I am looking forward to working with her, Principal Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, and all of the FDA's dedicated and talented people." After a 20-year career in food safety with FDA and USDA, Taylor has worked in academic and research settings since 2000 on the challenges facing the nation's food safety system and ways to address them.

Taylor’s recent research agenda has focused on policy, resource, and institutional issues that affect the success of public health agencies in carrying out their prevention-related missions. He served as chair of the steering committee of the Food Safety Research Consortium, collaboration among six universities and a nonprofit think tank to improve food safety decision making and priority setting.