President Obama, in his weekly address, named Dr. Margaret Hamburg as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein as the Principal Deputy Commissioner. President Obama also announced the creation of a new Food Safety Working Group to be chaired by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. This group will examine and upgrade food safety laws and enforce laws designed to keep the American people safe.

The President spoke about two specific food safety measures: the Department of Agriculture will close a loophole to prevent diseased cows from entering the food supply, and the government will invest in the FDA to substantially increase the number of food inspectors and modernize food safety labs.

Video of the full presidential address can be viewed online atwww.whitehouse.gov.