Yiannas, Walmart’s head of food safety, to join FDA
According to Politico, Frank Yiannas, vice president of food safety at Walmart, will join the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November, filling a role similar to that of Stephen Ostroff, who will retire in January as FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, in a letter to his staff, said that Ostroff, who was “instrumental” in recruiting Yiannis, will help with the transition, serving as a senior advisor to the commissioner until he leaves in January.
According to Politico, Frank Yiannas, vice president of food safety at Walmart, will join the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November, filling a role similar to that of Stephen Ostroff, who will retire in January as FDA deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, in a letter to his staff, said that Ostroff, who was “instrumental” in recruiting Yiannis, will help with the transition, serving as a senior advisor to the commissioner until he leaves in January.
The new position reflects the agency’s reorganization plans, including the formation of the Office of Food Policy and Response, which will focus on food safety. As a longtime champion of blockchain technology, Yiannas believes it will play a significant role in improving food safety.
“We face a lot of new threats, and Frank has a lot of experience in deploying novel technologies to thwart emerging risks,” Gottlieb said in a statement to Politico. “I’m confident he’ll help us continue to modernize our approach to food safety.”
Commenting on his new role, Yiannas tweeted, “Committed to trying to make a bigger difference in the lives of consumers more than I am in staying in my comfort zone. Delighted to be reporting to Commissioner @SGottliebFDA & joining the impressive team at @FDAfood.”