Dr. Alejandro Mazzotta
Dr. Alejandro Mazzota is Senior Director of Global Food Safety with Campbell Soup Company, joining in 2008. He leads the development and implementation of global food safety and quality management systems, Campbell Food Safety and training programs, and is responsible for the assessment of new food safety regulations to assure compliance.
Prior to joining Campbell’s, Dr. Mazzotta worked for McDonald’s Corporation, where he held food safety positions from 2003–2008 in the corporate and U.S. business, including Director of Food Safety & Quality Systems, focusing on restaurant food safety and the validation of restaurant processes.
Dr. Mazzotta also served in various roles at General Mills, including Manager of Microbiology, where he led General Mills’ Microbiology function, which supported the Medallion Laboratory. He supported Pillsbury’s international business and developed safety parameters for improving the quality of refrigerated pastas and sauces.
Dr. Mazzotta joined the National Food Processors Association in Washington, D.C. in 1998 and conducted research on the heat resistance of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in different food products. He became a trainer for the Food Processor Institute and conducted training in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and juice pasteurization for numerous member food companies.
From 1986–1990, Dr. Mazzotta worked as a scientist for the Argentine Antarctic Institute and was posted in the Antarctic Peninsula for two years. While there, he conducted research on the biochemical composition of Antarctic fish and krill with a focus on the fluoride content in derived meals, as part of a national fishery program.
Dr. Mazzotta serves on the advisory boards for the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia (CFS) and the Institute of Food Safety and Health (IFSH). He is a member of the American Society for Microbiology and the Institute of Food Technologists, where he received various awards for his research in food science, including the Phi Tau Sigma/Procter & Gamble Graduate Research Paper Competition (1997), the John C. Ayres Graduate Research Paper Competition (1996), and the Endel Karmas Award for Outstanding Research in Food Science (1996).
Dr. Mazzotta also served on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) from 2004–2009, where he made significant contributions to reports, including the safe cooking of poultry products; Campylobacter analytical methodologies; food as a source of exposure to Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis; parameters for inoculated packs; and challenge study Protocols. His work has been published in both English and Spanish in more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific journals, and he has spoken at numerous international meetings and symposia. Dr. Mazzotta served on the Editorial Boards of Applied and Environmental Microbiology for the American Society for Microbiology and the Journal of Food Protection for the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP).
Dr. Mazzotta is a native of Argentina and earned his B.S. (1983) and M.S. (1985) degrees in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires. He received his Doctoral Degree (1997) in Food Science, Microbiology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Since joining IAFP in 1999, Dr. Mazzotta has been committed to helping advance the goals of the association with pride and enthusiasm. He has participated in Professional Development Groups (PDG) activities, and has volunteered on several committees, including the Awards Committee; Black Pearl Selection Committee; Journal of Food Protection (JFP) Management Committee; and Developing Scientist Awards Committee. For the past six years, Dr. Mazzotta has served as a member of the IAFP Program Committee and currently serves as Chair.