Mindy Brashears

Mindy Brashears
5th Under Secretary of Food Safety, USDA
In office
March 23, 2020  January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byElizabeth Hagen
Succeeded byJose Emilio Esteban
Personal details
Born
Mindy Malynn Hardcastle

(1970-05-13) May 13, 1970
Wheeler, Texas
Political partyRepublican
SpouseM. Todd Brashears
EducationWheeler High School
Texas Tech University (BS)
Oklahoma State University (MS, PhD)

Mindy Brashears is the former Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and confirmed by a Senate vote on March 23, 2020 and concluded her service on January 20, 2021. Her responsibilities in this role included leading the nation's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and its team of over 10,000 food inspectors and scientists. She chaired the Codex Alimentarius Policy Committee, which made her the highest-ranking food safety official in the U.S. government during her tenure.

Following her time at USDA, she returned to her role as professor of food microbiology and food safety at Texas Tech University where she is the director for the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.