Speaker Biographies
David Anderson
Manager, Food Safety
Del Monte Foods
David and his staff function as thermal process authorities for canned fruits, vegetables, tomato products and pet foods.In addition, David is involved in validation of the pasteurization steps applied to low-moisture foods.Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Minnesota.
Carlos Alvarez Antolinez, DVM, MA, MSc, MSc
Minister-Counselor
Food Safety, Health and Consumer Affairs
Delegation of the European Union
Carlos has been a European Commission official since 1993. Previous to joining the EU Delegation in Washington in October 2009, he worked for 11 years in the Commission's Food and Veterinary Office in Ireland, where he was in charge of different inspection units. From 1993 to 1998, Carlos worked in Brussels in the Commission's division of agricultural research, and prior to that, in the National and Regional Administrations inSpain. In the EU Delegation, Carlos oversees issues related to food safety, animalhealth and welfare, and plant health. Carlos is a veterinarian by training (Veterinary School of Leon, Spain) and also holds master degrees in Public Administration (Complutense University of Madrid), Management in the Public Sector (Trinity College Dublin) and Public Policy and Management (University of London).
David J. Baer, PhD.
Supervisory Research Physiologist
Human Nutrition Research Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Dr. Baer has worked with the Department of Agriculture for over 20 years and is research leader of the Center’s Food Components and Health Laboratory and director of the Center's Human Study Facility. Dr. Baer conducts controlled dietary intervention studies to investigate the relationship between diet and the risk for chronic degenerative diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes in people. His research also includes studies on the health impacts of weight gain and determining the calorie content of foods. Some of the dietary interventions he has investigated include the effects of different types of dairy protein, soy protein, fats and fatty acids, fiber, margarine, butter, plant sterols, salad dressings, nuts, whole grains, berries, alcohol and tea on overall nutrition and health. In addition to dietary intervention studies, Baer is involved in research studies to validate food survey methodologies and to develop new methods for dietary assessment. He is the author of numerous scientific articles and book chapters and has been invited to present his research findings nationally and internationally. Dr. Baer earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and his doctorate in nutrition from Michigan State University. Prior to joining the Department of Agriculture, he worked as a private consultant in nutrition. He is active in several professional societies, and a member of the American Heart Association, American Society of Nutrition, American Oil Chemists Society, Comparative Nutrition Society, and the Institute of Food Technologists.
Patrizia Barone, Ph.D.
Regional Regulatory Affairs Director
Unilever (North American Region)
In her current position, Dr. Patrizia Barone leads the strategic regulatory activities for the North American region of Unilever. Before joining Unilever, Patrizia held positions at Reckitt Benckiser, initially as Vice President of Research and Development for North America. She moved to Australia to head the Asia Pacific and South Asia Research and Development Laboratory, and upon her return held positions culminating as Global Research and Development Category Group Director - Regulatory Affairs and Research and Development Systems, responsible for product safety and regulatory strategies for all products globally. Earlier, Patrizia worked with Colgate-Palmolive and Miles, Inc. Household Products Division, a division of Bayer AG. Patrizia has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Maryland College Park and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Carol Barnao
Deputy Director-General, Standards Branch
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
The branch develops import, export and domestic standards and systems relating to biosecurity, animal welfare and food safety. Additionally, the branch includes science and risk assessment capability to support standards and innovation, and is responsible for managing international agreements and relationships for biosecurity, animal welfare and food safety, to support industry in maximizing export opportunities for New Zealand. Before her role as Deputy Director-General, Carol was Director of the NZFSA Assurances and Standards Group. Carol has a strong background in the dairy industry; before joining the MAF Regulatory Authority 14 years ago, she was involved for 18 years with the dairy industry. Carol has held various positions within the New Zealand Dairy Board, involved in international standards and broader Regulatory Policy. Carol is a food technologist and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Joseph L. Baumert, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Food Science
Co-Director – Food Allergy Research and Resource Program
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Dr. Joe Baumert currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology and is co-director of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska. Dr. Baumert received his Ph.D. in food science and technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln specializing in food allergy research in association with the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Animal Science at the University of Nebraska specializing in Meat Science and Muscle Biology. Dr. Baumert maintains active research and extension programs within the Department. His research interests include determination of minimal eliciting doses for specific allergenic foods, examination of the digestive stability of major food allergens and monitoring the in vivo distribution of digestion-resistant allergens in the human body over time, and the development and improvement of immunochemical methods for detection of allergenic food proteins.
Glenn Black, Ph.D.
Director of Science Operation
Scientific and Regulatory Affairs
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Glenn Black serves as Director of Science Operations at the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Dr. Black oversees research and member services related to thermal processing and microbiological safety. He also provides oversight and leadership for GMA’s Better Process Control Schools and thermal processing workshops and instruction. Prior to coming to GMA, Dr. Black served in various positions within the food and beverage industry including the position as Research Engineer, Research and Development within the Slim Fast Foods Company, a division of Unilever. As a Research Engineer, he oversaw the pilot plant operations and monitored thermal processes and filings. Dr. Black also worked in plant management for PepsiCo. Dr. Black has published a number of articles in recognized peer-reviewed scientific journals addressing microbial modeling and inactivation. He is a member of the International Association for Food Protection, Institute of Food Technologist, and the Institute for Thermal Process Specialists. Dr. Black received his B.S. and his M.S. in agricultural engineering from Clemson University and his Ph.D. in food science and technology from the University of Tennessee.
Leon Bruner, DVM, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs
Chief Science Officer
Grocery Manufacturers Association
Dr. Bruner is a twenty-three year veteran of the consumer products industry. He has served in a variety of positions at The Procter & Gamble Company and The Gillette Company. Most recently, he served as director, environment, health and safety within Procter & Gamble’s Gillette organization. He previously served as vice president, Gillette environment, health and safety from 2000 to 2007. During his professional career, Dr. Bruner has developed a strong reputation as an innovator who is able to apply strategic vision, critical thinking and first-class execution in pursuit of business goals. He is an internationally-recognized expert in the development and application of non-animal toxicity product testing methods, and is also an expert in product safety and regulatory compliance. He has written numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and several book chapters on those subjects. Dr. Bruner holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Ph.D. in pharmacology, both earned at Michigan State University. He also received his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State.
Paul V. Butler
Managing Partner, Director
GlobalEdg
Paul works with senior executives in organizations to increase capabilities of individuals, teams, and organizations. With over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors, he is well positioned to support organizations going through large scale change efforts. Paul’s facilitation methodology is proven to produce sustainable results with executive teams and boards. He uses his broad management experience in sales, marketing, operations, and organizational development to help organizations achieve leadership and functional excellence. Paul’s corporate experience includes senior-level sales, marketing, and human resources positions with Wyeth Labs and Procter & Gamble (Gillette), where he was a member of the Human Resource Operating Committee. Paul was Gillette’s Director of Global Organizational Learning and Development, serving in a role as the company’s chief learning officer. Paul holds a Masters Degree in Human Resource Development from the George Washington University. He is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, and was a board member of the Professional Society of Sales and Marketing Training. Paul and his wife, Becky, are now “empty nesters” and reside in Southbury, Connecticut. They are the parents of three children. He is an avid runner and golfer.
Dr. Mitchell Cheeseman
Managing Director, Environmental and Life Sciences
Steptoe & Johnson, LLP
Prior to Dr. Cheeseman’s position at Steptoe & Johnson, LLP, he served as an official in FDA’s Foods Program for more than 20 years. At FDA his primary experience is managing the food ingredient and packaging programs including experience in the regulation of direct food additives and food contact substances, color additives, Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) food ingredients, and bioengineered food. He held a leadership position over all of these regulatory areas as either the deputy director or acting director of the Office of Food Additive Safety for over five years and has held leadership positions over FDA’s Food Contact Notification Program for the program’s first 13 years of operation. During his FDA career, Dr. Cheeseman has been a lead in the development and implementation of FDA’s Threshold of Regulation process for food contact substances and FDA’s Food Contact Notification Program. He also served in the development of FDA’s GRAS Notice Program. Dr. Cheeseman received his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Memphis in 1986 and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Florida in 1990. His research background includes the application of diverse spectroscopic methods to problems in physical and analytical chemistry, the application of structure activity analysis to regulatory decision making, and chemical risk assessment.
Dr. Roger A. Clemens
Chief Scientific Officer, Horn
Part-time faculty, USC Regulatory Science program
Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Services, USC School of Pharmacology
Dr. Clemens served as Scientific Advisor for Nestlé USA for more than 21 years. He has published more than 50 original manuscripts in nutrition and food science, participated in more than 300 invited domestic and international lectures, and served as an expert panel member for the food industry, scientific organizations, trade associations and regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada and Europe. Dr. Clemens is president (2011-2012) of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and member of the Board of Directors. He served on numerous IFT expert panels, including Functional Foods, and Making Decisions about the Risks of Chemicals in Foods with Limited Scientific Information. He cofounded, established and contributes to a Food, Medicine and Health column published monthly in Food Technology. As a spokesperson for IFT, Dr. Clemens has been cited and interviewed by more than 500 domestic and international health journalists, and has appeared on numerous televised (e.g., Good Morning America, CNN, CBS 48 Hours) discussions on contemporary health, nutrition and food safety issues. Dr. Clemens is a spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) while serving on the society’s quick response team for breaking news on food, nutrition and health issues. He chaired the Public Information Committee, and serves as a member of ASN’s Finance Committee and ASN’s Medical Nutrition Council. Dr. Clemens was a member of the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and is a second-term member of the US Pharmacopeia Food Ingredient Expert Committee. He was a member of the Commission on Dietetic Registration for the American Dietetic Association. Dr. Clemens is a professional member of and Fellow in IFT. Dr. Clemens received many awards for his leadership in IFT, the American Dietetic Association, and in local universities. He is a fellow in the American College of Nutrition and a fellow in the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Clemens received an AB in Bacteriology, a MPH in Nutrition, and a DrPH. in Public Health Nutrition and Biological Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Robert (Bob) Collette
President
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
In November 2007, Bob became the President and Secretary of the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, a national trade association representing the refiners of edible fats and oils in the U.S. As ISEO’s President, he holds primary responsibility for formulating and advancing ISEO's advocacy positions and acting as liaison to key government agencies. In this capacity, Bob facilitates and implements ISEO policy on issues pertaining to technical matters, the environment, transportation, occupational health and safety, energy and government regulations. Prior to joining ISEO, Bob spent the previous 23 years with the National Fisheries Institute, a national trade association representing seafood businesses. He served as the Fisheries Institute’s V.P. of Science and Technology for last nine years of his tenure and was responsible for planning and coordinating the Institute’s regulatory and technical programs. He has a Master of Science Degree in Food Science from the University of Rhode Island and is a member of several professional societies and organizations, including the American Oil Chemists Society, Association of Food and Drug Officials and the Institute of Food Technologists.
Rebecca L. Corwin, RD, LDN, PhD
Associate Professor of Nutritional Neuroscience
Nutritional Sciences Dept., Penn State University
Dr. Corwin is an Associate Professor of Nutritional Neuroscience within the Nutritional Sciences Department at Penn State. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1972 from the University of Florida and Bachelor of Science degree in clinical dietetics 1978 from Texas Woman’s University. After working as a dietitian in Texas for awhile she went on to earn a Master’s degree in biopsychology from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1983 under the guidance of Dr. David Malin, completing her thesis on the effects of opioids on food intake. She then went to the University of Chicago, earning her PhD in biopsychology in 1989 under the guidance of the late Dr. Charles (“Bob”) Schuster and Dr. William (“Bill”) Woolverton. In the Chicago lab she was exposed to animal models of drug self-administration and completed her dissertation on the behavioral effects of several different anorectic drugs. She completed post-doctoral training at Cornell University under the guidance of Drs. Gerard Smith and James Gibbs, examining the effects of endogenous peptides (CCK, bombesin) on food intake, and at NIH under the guidance of Dr. Jacqueline Crawley, examining the effects of endogenous peptides (CCK, galanin) on food intake and brain dopamine. Dr. Corwin has published 50 peer-reviewed articles including recent reviews on the topic of food addiction, and has presented her work to domestic and international audiences. Her backgrounds in nutrition, drug addiction, and homeostatic regulation of food intake inform her current research on binge eating. She has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 1994.