"Calls from consumer advocates and politicians are growing louder for the Obama administration to name an undersecretary for food safety at the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service, a position unfilled for more than a year.

 It's a job with little glory but a lot of responsibility: keeping the meat, poultry, catfish and some eggs America eats safe by overseeing 9,000 inspectors who visit 7,000 slaughter and processing plants daily. The agency needs to overhaul its methods and set tough new standards for testing, consumer advocates say. "

Elizabeth Weise reports for USA TODAY January 20, 2010. [2]