Senate confirms Hamburg to head FDA
The US Senate confirmed Dr Margaret Hamburg as Food and Drug Administration Commissioner on Monday.
Hamburg has pledged to focus on food safety following a spate of high-profile foodborne illness outbreaks and has gained wide support from Democrats, Republicans and the food industry alike. The Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination.
Speaking at her confirmation hearing on May 7, Hamburg said that she would take advantage of “the growing consensus among experts and industry that now is the time to shift to a food safety system that puts prevention first.”
The Senate had been urged to ensure Hamburg – an expert in pandemics and bioterrorism – was confirmed as FDA chief as quickly as possible, particularly in light of the H1N1 flu outbreak, and had pushed forward her confirmation hearing.
