Thompson's FDA candidate

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson's pick for FDA Commissioner is Lester Crawford, according to qualified congressional and industry sources who asked not to be identified. President Bush has not yet sent a nomination to the Senate, but if nominated and confirmed, Crawford would be the first veterinarian to lead the FDA. Crawford directs the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy, a research and educational institution affiliated with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Crawford's career in and out of government has centered on food safety issues. He served as director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine from 1982-85, then as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service from 1987 to 1991. Early in his career, Crawford, 63, was a researcher at American Cyanamid. ...