Western Growers senior vice president De Ann Davis reappointed to food safety committee

Western Growers Senior Vice President, Science De Ann Davis, PhD, will serve a second two-year term as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). 
 
The Committee provides impartial scientific advice to federal agencies to use in developing integrated food safety systems from farm to table and to ensure food safety in domestic and imported foods.
 
Davis, who joined Western Growers in 2020, was picked based on her extensive expertise in food safety related issues. She has more than 25 years of experience in the development and execution of technical global product safety programs, including food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance. 

Under her leadership at Western Growers, the Science division partnered with scientific modeling and data analytics service Creme Global to create a comprehensive food safety data-sharing tool. This will allow participating growers to autonomously and anonymously improve and enhance food safety management and proactively develop new strategies for outbreak prevention.

NACMCF is currently working with the FDA to develop a report that will improve understanding of sources and routes of Cyclospora contamination, prevalence and control measures based on available science. In addition, the Committee is working with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to enhance Salmonella control in poultry products.

The Committee will hold a public meeting from Nov. 17-19. For more information and to see the full list of Committee members, please visit the Committee’s website on USDA.gov.