U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary (USDA) Ann M. Veneman has appointed Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Administrator Thomas J. Billy as special advisor for Codex and international food safety issues, and Margaret O'K. Glavin as acting administrator of FSIS.

Veneman lauded Billy for leading the implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems in meat and poultry plants and vowed to build on his accomplishments. "We have a very strong food safety leadership team in place at USDA and will continue working to strengthen these very important programs," she said.

At Codex, Billy will focus on his role as the elected chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the international food-standard setting organization. Codex seeks to ensure that the world's food supply is sound, wholesome, free from adulteration and correctly labeled, goals it pursues by promoting the adoption and implementation of food safety standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by Codex countries. Billy plans to serve as an advisor to Veneman on issues involving international public health and food safety.

Glavin has been Associate Administrator at FSIS since 1999 and served in various positions in the agency since 1983. From 1996 to 1999, she was Deputy Administrator of the office of Policy, Program Development and Evaluation for FSIS, and was responsible for formulating policy, establishing and modifying regulations, and designing and evaluating new programs and systems. From 1994 to 1996 she was one of three associate administrators at FSIS and had responsibility for day-to-day management of the agency.