WASHINGTON — The Food & Drug Administration announced that Mike Taylor, a leader in implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act, will be leaving the agency on June 1.

Taylor, who is FDA’s first deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, will be succeeded by Stephen Ostroff, the agency’s chief scientist who recently led FDA as acting commissioner until Robert Califf was confirmed as the new FDA commissioner.Mike Taylor

“As part of a succession plan that ensures both continuity in the program and strong new leadership for the future, Dr. Stephen Ostroff will become the second Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine upon Mr. Taylor’s departure,” FDA announced in a March 8 statement.

“Between now and June 1, Mr. Taylor and Dr. Ostroff will work closely together, with FDA Commissioner Califf’s strong support, to manage a transition that sustains the program’s momentum on the many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for FDA.”

As for Taylor’s future plans, FDA said only that he plans “to continue working on in the food safety arena, focusing on those settings where people lack regular access to sufficient, nutritious and safe food.”

Taylor’s departure will come before food companies must comply with much of FSMA’s rules.

“Mike Taylor came into FDA with a vision of how to improve food safety, and he realized that it would only succeed if all stakeholders worked together,” said David Gombas, senior vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh Produce Association. “United Fresh respects and will miss the integrity, openness to ideas and transparency Mike embodied during FDA’s rulemaking process. It is unfortunate that he is leaving before his vision is realized.”

Robert Whitaker, chief scientific officer at the Produce Marketing Association, praised Taylor for leaving Washington and trying to learn firsthand about best practices within the industry, whether in the Delmarva region, Salinas, CA, or on the border in Arizona.

“I really found him to be a remarkable guy to work with on a personal basis,” Whitaker said. “There’s a lot of respect within the industry for Mike. We’re sad to see him go.”

But Whitaker said Taylor has assembled a good team at FDA with deeper knowledge to handle the “heavy lifting” of FSMA, though it’s not expected to be without problems.

He also noted the better linkages between the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and FDA during outbreak investigations under Taylor’s tenure.

Taylor joined FDA in July 2009 and has overseen FSMA implementation, along with changes in nutrition and other food policies.

Ostroff joined FDA in 2013 as senior public health adviser to Taylor before he served as deputy director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases.