Escherichia coli O157:H7 - The bacterium that revolutionized food
safety policy and practice.

Dr. Ann Marie McNamara
Vice President
Silliker, Inc.

Dr. Ann Marie McNamara, Vice President of Food Safety and Scientific Affairs for Silliker, Inc., was recently appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). As part of her Silliker responsibilities, Dr. McNamara directs the organization's Research Center in South Holland, IL.

A renowned scientist with over 17 years of industry and regulatory experience, Dr. McNamara joined Silliker, Inc. in 2003 after serving as Corporate Vice President of Food Safety and Technology for the Sara Lee Corporation. From 1992 to 1999, she served as Director of Microbiology for the Office of Public Health and Science (USDA FSIS). She was influential in several food safety initiatives, and received the Secretary of Agriculture's "Superior Service Award" five times in her seven years at USDA.

NACMCF was established in 1988 and provides impartial, scientific advice to federal food safety agencies for use in the development of an integrated national food safety systems approach from farm to final consumption to assure the safety of domestic, imported, and exported foods.

NACMCF is co-sponsored by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Department of Defense Veterinary Service Activity.

Current and future NACMCF subcommittee work areas include:
Analytical Utility of Campylobacter Methodologies
Determination of Cooking Parameters for Safe Seafood for Consumers
Consumer Guidelines for the Safe Cooking of Poultry Products
Review of an ARS-FSIS Study on Indicator Organisms in Poultry
Assessment of the Food Safety Importance and Public Health
Significance of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Scientific Parameters for Validating Post-harvest Treatments for Pathogen Control in Molluscan Shellfish
NACMCF was instrumental in formulating and standardizing the principles of HACCP, and NACMCF subcommittees have developed microbiological criteria for specific foods such as raw shellfish, cooked ready to-eat shrimp, and crabmeat.

"It is a great honor to be chosen to serve on NACMCF with all of the new and highly accomplished appointees," said Dr. McNamara. "I am looking forward to continuing the tremendous work the committee has performed over the past three decades."

Thirty newly appointed members, representing disciplines related to health and food safety issues, will serve two-year terms on the committee.

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