Dr. Emilio Esteban Leaves USDA for Mérieux NutriSciences

CHICAGO, Ill. — Mérieux NutriSciences announced the appointment of Dr. Emilio Esteban as chief scientific officer for its North America division and head of its Global Analytical Hub.  

Esteban brings his professional background in food safety and public health to Mérieux NutriSciences. In this role, he will work to strengthen Mérieux NutriSciences’ status as a global leader in food science and safety and to drive the organization’s strategy to deliver globally cutting-edge analytical services, said the company.

Over the last 22 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Esteban has held a variety of leadership roles, most recently serving as undersecretary overseeing the food safety mission. Prior to that, Esteban worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an epidemiologist and assistant director for public health in its Food Safety Office. He has served on the executive board of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and chaired the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Esteban received a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mexico’s Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, a Master of Business Administration from the Panamerican Institute, as well as a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and a doctorate in epidemiology from the University of California at Davis.

"We are honored to have one of the global thought leaders in food science and safety join our team," said Sébastien Moulard, president of Mérieux NutriSciences North America. "Dr. Esteban’s extraordinary vision and ingenuity will be invaluable to Mérieux NutriSciences as we continue to meet the evolving challenges of our industry.”

Editor's Note: Revisit Esteban's 2024 Q&A with QA magazine here.