International Association for Food Protection Holds 2013–2014 Secretary Election

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Des Moines, Iowa - The International Association for Food Protection is proud to announce Dr. Maria Teresa Destro and Dr. Linda Harris as candidates for the 2013–2014 Secretary. The elected Secretary will assume her position following IAFP 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina in July and will serve a five-year term of successive positions. Ballots will be provided to all Association Members and the election will remain open through March 12, 2013. Election results will be announced in April on the IAFP Web site and in the IAFP Report, and in the May/June issue of Food Protection Trends. 

Dr. Maria Teresa Destro is an Associate Professor of Food Microbiology in the Department of Food and Experimental Nutrition at the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil and a member of the University’s Advance Research Center in Food Science and Nutrition. As an undergraduate and graduate professor, she dedicates her time to teaching, research and extension. She also instructs at other universities in Brazil and throughout South America. Dr. Destro’s research interest is in foodborne pathogens, especially Listeria monocytogenes. She has served as lead investigator and collaborator in several multi-institutional projects addressing food safety and microbial risk assessment. She is an FAO-certified HACCP instructor, training more than 500 food processors and government employees throughout Brazil. She has served on several Brazilian Government committees and works at the international level with FAO, ILSI North America and PAHO.

Since joining IAFP in 1994, Dr. Destro has been committed to helping advance the goals of the association, serving on various committees as a member, Vice Chair and Chair, including the Journal of Food Protection Management Committee, the Affiliate Awards Selection Committee and the International Leadership Selection Committee. She also served as Affiliate Council Secretary and Chair and has been a member of the Student Travel Scholarship Selection Committee, the Nominating Committee, and the IAFP Program Committee. She currently participates on two Professional Development Groups (PDG). Dr. Destro received the IAFP President’s Recognition Award in 2006 and the International Leadership Award in 2010. 

A native of Brazil, Dr. Destro earned her M.Sc. degree in Food Technology at the University of Campinas in São Paulo, and her Ph.D. in Food Science at USP. 

Dr. Linda Harris is a Specialist in Cooperative Extension – Microbial Food Safety in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of California–Davis. She also serves as the Associate Director at the UC–Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security and as the Principal Investigator for the Western Center for Food Safety. Dr. Harris provides expertise on food safety microbiology throughout the food chain, from producers to processors, retailers and consumers. In addition, she oversees a research program at UC–Davis on the microbial food safety of fresh fruits and vegetables and tree nuts, from pre-harvest through minimally- and fully-processed products. Prior to joining the university, Dr. Harris spent five years developing a teaching and research program in food (primarily meat) microbiology in the Department of Food Science at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada).

Dr. Harris joined IAFP in 1987. Throughout her Membership, she has served as a judge for the Developing Scientist Awards and as a member on various IAFP Committees, including the Program and Nomination Committees. Dr. Harris has chaired the Elmer Marth Educator Award Selection Committee and co-chaired the Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Management Committee and the Produce Safety and Quality PDG. She has been an editorial board member for the Journal of Food Protection since 2007. Dr. Harris received the IAFP Elmer Marth Educator Award in 2004 and the Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award in 2010. 

Dr. Harris earned her B.Sc. in Food Science and her M.Sc. in Food Microbiology from the University of Alberta (Edmonton). She completed her Ph.D. in Microbiology from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. 

For complete biographies of the candidates, visit the IAFP Web site at: http://www.foodprotection.org