Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2023 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
Cheryl Enlow — Vice president of quality assurance and food safety, Renaissance Food Group
When I think about industry progress on food safety issues over the past couple of decades, one topic I think of is ...
The creation of the Center for Produce Safety and the California and Arizona Leafy Green Marketing Agreements. These innovative organizations were born out of the willingness of the industry to embrace the power of collaboration to find ways to reduce risk that are science-based, effective and can be implemented by those involved in producing such healthy products.
Declaring that food safety is not to be viewed as a competitive advantage, volunteers at [International Fresh Produce Association] and its predecessors have also worked together over the years to develop resource documents and educate produce safety newcomers.
One satisfying career accomplishment for me (either with a company or industry association) was …
I am very proud of the Quality & Food Safety Management System my team and I have built and implemented based on my motto, “Simplify to Amplify.” It was designed to assure standardization across multiple facilities and includes mechanisms for continuous improvement. I have been told I should patent some of the tools it contains! The system and associated practices were given credit for “closing the sale” with a significant new customer, and that was a very rewarding moment.
More about Cheryl Enlow
Enlow’s career in the produce industry began in the late 1970s with a degree in food technology from Iowa State University, which led to roles in production, quality assurance and food safety at Green Giant, Fresh Express and Safeway. She credits many great mentors along the way with helping her to attain her current role at Calavo, which she joined in 2015 as vice president of quality assurance and food safety.
Enlow is active in industry groups such as the Center for Produce Safety and IFPA, serving as the previous chair of the Food Safety Council of UFPA/IFPA.
