Boar’s Head appoints former FDA official to direct food safety efforts

Boar’s Head Brand, grappling with a listeria outbreak tied to its products that has killed 11 people, has hired the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s former top food safety official.

Frank Yiannas, who served as deputy commissioner for food policy and response from 2018 until his January 2023 resignation, has been appointed as interim chief food safety advisor for Boar’s Head, according to a news release.

Yiannas will be responsible for helping to ensure leading standards of food safety and quality across the organization, according to the release. He will also oversee a nationwide search for a chief food safety officer and chair the Boar’s Head Food Safety Advisory Council, made up of independent industry-leading food safety

“At Boar’s Head, we are committed to food safety, and we have a long heritage of manufacturing high-quality and delicious products,” the company said in the release. “We are continuing to take actions to ensure that we are operating in the safest manner possible across our network of facilities.

“As part of these efforts, we are pleased to appoint Frank Yiannas as our chief food safety advisor on an interim basis. Mr. Yiannas brings significant food safety and regulatory experience and expertise that will be pivotal in helping us shape our food safety programs going forward.”