The nomination of Elisabeth Hagen to serve as the USDA’s top food safety official took a major step forward yesterday when the Senate Agriculture Committee approved Hagen by voice vote.

President Obama nominated Hagen in January, but the Agriculture Committee did not hold a nomination hearing, at which Hagen testified, until May 27. The committee then needed another hearing to vote on the nomination.

As a result, 17-plus months into the Obama administration, the job of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food safety, a.ka. the head of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), remains unfilled. FSIS is an important regulatory agency responsible for inspecting and ensuring the integrity of meat, poultry, and eggs.

According to Food Safety News, “The lingering vacancy has drawn considerable criticism in the food policy community, causing many to openly suggest FSIS lacks leadership and direction at a time when the Obama Administration is stressing food safety system reform.”

Obama announced in March 2009 his intention to make food safety a top regulatory priority in his administration. While the Food and Drug Administration, the other major food safety agency, has made some progress, FSIS has lagged behind. FSIS continues to inspect animals as well as meat, poultry, and egg products, but new rules needed to address contaminants and other hazards have been delayed.

Hagen’s nomination now awaits consideration by the full Senate. “It's likely she and other pending, noncontroversial nominations will be approved by the upper chamber during the next work period, after the Fourth of July recess,” Food Safety News reports. Stay tuned.