Our Team
Ines Nagelschmidt
Managing Director, Audits
Ines Nagelschmidt is Managing Director of Ariana Holding GmbH and a graduate in Nutritional Science (Diplom-Ökotrophologin) with extensive experience in the food industry. She combines deep expertise in food safety, quality management, and food law with a strong track record in corporate leadership, transformation, and sustainable process optimization.
After completing her degree in Nutritional Science at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, she began her career in quality management and quality assurance at Josef Albus GmbH, before taking on responsibility for quality management, crisis management, transformation, and sustainability at The Family Butchers and within the shared services of InFamily Foods Holding, , serving as Authorized Signatory (Prokuristin), member of the executive leadership team, and, from 2023, member of the Executive Board with responsibility as CSO.
Since July 1, 2026, she has served as Managing Director of Ariana Holding GmbH, advising companies on food safety, quality management, food law, audits, crisis management, sustainability, digitalization, and transformation.
She is also active on the BMLEH's Foreign Trade Advisory Committee and its Sustainability Round Table, chairs the BVWS expert circle "Quality Meat & Protein," contributes to Women in Agribusiness, and works as an author and speaker.
Ines Nagelschmidt
Managing Director, Audits
Dr. Marcus Langen
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Dr. Marcus Langen is a specialist veterinarian for food and allowed to analyze official cross-checking samples in Germany.
After studying veterinary medicine in Hanover, he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Food Quality and Safety there, where he also completed his doctorate with the title “Phylogenetic characterisation of Campylobacter-isolates from poultry slaughtering” .
After working as a Quality Management Representative and product developer in the food industry and as an expert in a food service laboratory, he is now Managing Director of Ariana Holding GmbH since 2023 and Deputy Managing Director of Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, both located in Germany.
Dr. Langen is consulting German and European food and retail companies in the areas of food safety, food hygiene and crisis management.
Amongst other activities, he is Chairman of the Food Safety Section of the German Association of Practicing Veterinarians (BPT e. V.), Deputy Chairman of the Food Law Section of the German Veterinary Medical Association (DVG e. V.) and expert in the "Meat and Meat Products" and "Vegan and Vegetarian Foods" committees of the German Food Codex Commission, which is set up by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. He was recently appointed as a member of the Commission for Biological Hazards and Hygiene at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
Langen also publishes regularly in specialist journals and reference works, gives lectures and is consulting the German Food Association e. g. in terms of different Guidance Documents, including the Guidance Document for Prevention and Monitoring Measures for Listeria monocytogenes RTE-foods.
He is editor and co-author of the "Pictorial Atlas for Histology of Meat and Meat Products” and lectures at the Hanover University of Veterinary Medicine Foundation and the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Dr. Marcus Langen
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Dr. Georg Berns
Managing Director, Audits
Dr. Georg Berns studied Agricultural Sciences, specializing in Animal Production, at the University of Bonn and graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering (Dipl.-Ing. agr.). He is also a microbiologist.
After completing his studies, he worked as an assistant to the managing director, supporting sales and consulting activities at a company that developed and distributed rapid tests for the agricultural and food industries.
In 1996, he founded Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, where he serves as Managing Director. He has extensive experience in consulting, auditing, crisis management, and training across the food and animal-feed industries, as well as the agricultural sector.
Dr. Georg Berns
Managing Director, Audits
Frederick Lippert
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Frederick Lippert is an expert in product quality and food safety, specializing in fresh foods—particularly fruit and vegetables. He is also a subject-matter expert in product knowledge, marketing standards (EU specific marketing standards, EU general marketing standards, and UNECE standards), audits and inspections, and traceability systems.
After studying Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, including coursework in Wageningen, the Netherlands, he spent approximately ten years working in quality management for international food retailers. He assumed leadership responsibilities early in his career, including roles involving residue analysis, product inspections, and quality management consulting.
Over the course of his career, he developed extensive expertise in designing and implementing audit programs for fruit and vegetable production and processing operations at both the national and international levels. He focuses particularly on private-sector standards and second-party audits related to traceability, food safety, and sustainability.
Since 2016, he has worked for his family business, Dr. Lippert Qualitätsmanagement. He is responsible for inspection and audit services, as well as strategic expansion initiatives—particularly those involving the continued development and internationalization of the company’s services. Since the company’s integration into the ARIANA Group, he has also served as a member of the Management Board of Ariana Holding.
Frederick Lippert participates in several working groups, including those organized by QS Qualität und Sicherheit GmbH, and is a member of the German Fruit Trade Association.
He also speaks at industry events, regularly presenting on topics such as traceability and sustainability in global supply chains.
Frederick Lippert
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Dr. Felix Lippert
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Dr. Felix Lippert is an agricultural scientist with many years of expertise in quality assurance, product knowledge and post-harvest physiology of fresh fruit and vegetables.
After studying and earning his doctorate in agricultural sciences at the University of Hohenheim, he initially worked as a research manager for cultivation systems of horticultural crops at the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim. He then took up an assistant professorship at the University of Bonn, where he led a research group on post-harvest technology for fresh fruit and vegetables.
Dr. Lippert has built up the Dr. Lippert Quality Management group of companies. His main areas of expertise are the quality assessment of fruit and vegetables, the development and implementation of inspection and measurement procedures, and laboratory analysis, particularly in the area of pesticide residues.
Furthermore, he advises companies along the entire value chain on issues of quality assurance, process optimization and digitalization of QM systems.
Dr. Felix Lippert is a publicly appointed and sworn expert (Chamber of Industry and Commerce Koblenz), lecturer at the University of Bonn, and a sought-after speaker and presenter at industry events and specialist forums.
Dr. Felix Lippert
Managing Director, Analytics, Audits
Dr. Jochen Dietrich
Head of Analytics
Dr. Jochen Dietrich holds a doctorate in ecotrophology and has extensive experience in the field of food microbiology, food hygiene, hygiene in production facilities, listeria prevention, microbiological analysis, and molecular biology.
After studying ecotrophology at the TU Munich/Weihenstephan and subsequently receiving his doctorate at the Max Rubner Institute in Kiel, Dr. Jochen Dietrich initially worked as head of the microbiological laboratory of bilacon GmbH in Lohne, where he focused in particular on the microbiological examination of food.
Later in his professional career, Dr. Jochen Dietrich worked, among other things, as Head of Quality Assurance and Product Development at Sauels frische Wurst GmbH & Co. KG in the production and distribution of cooked sausage, cooked and raw ham, convenience foods and international specialties.
Since 2018, Dr. Jochen Dietrich has been Deputy Laboratory Manager at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is responsible for planning and monitoring laboratory workflows such as sampling, sample receipt, investigations, evaluations, and assessment of sensory, microbiological, chemical, histological, and molecular biological test results for food, environmental samples, and animal feed.
Furthermore, Dr. Jochen Dietrich advises companies and public authorities on conducting challenge tests regarding the growth potential of Listeria monocytogenes.
Dr. Jochen Dietrich
Head of Analytics
Patrick Hearse
Analytics, Authorized Signatory, Audits
Patrick Hearse is a food technologist with extensive experience in meat processing, specializing in fermented and heated meat products, convenience, quality management and assurance, controlling and production planning.
After studying food technology at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences (specializing in meat technology), Patrick Hearse deepened his expertise at Iowa State University, USA, and subsequently began as a trainee at Kaufland Fleischwaren, where he focused particularly on production planning and controlling.
Later in his professional career, Patrick Hearse worked, among other things, as an authorized signatory at the Zur Mühlen Group (Sausage Division, Tönnies) and was responsible for quality management for up to 12 locations in Germany and Poland.
During this time, he completed a part-time MBA program specializing in technical business administration.
Since 2023, Patrick Hearse has been working as a consultant and crisis manager for the Ariana Group and since 2026 has been responsible as an authorized signatory for the VIL Institute for Food Safety in Versmold.
In addition, Patrick Hearse advises companies and organizations in the areas of regulation, approval, process optimization, auditing, standards and scope of analysis.
Patrick Hearse
Analytics, Authorized Signatory, Audits
Dr. Viktoria Sterzinger
Head of Analytics
Dr. med. vet. Viktoria Sterzinger is a veterinarian and laboratory manager with extensive experience in drinking water and food microbiology, as well as in the inspection of drinking water supply systems.
After studying veterinary medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, he received his doctorate from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at LMU Munich.
Ms. Sterzinger initially worked as a small animal veterinarian for Dr. Wiedemann (Ebersberg, Munich).
During this time, she also completed her doctorate at the Institute of Physiology at LMU Munich. Her doctoral research focused on the production of monoclonal antibodies against CCR5 receptors on T cells (immunology, coreceptor in HIV infection, trigger point for rheumatic diseases).
Later in her professional career, Ms. Sterzinger worked as a meat inspection veterinarian at the Grissemann slaughterhouse in Zams, and as a hygiene monitoring veterinarian at the company Handl Tyrol.
Since 2005, Ms. Sterzinger has served as Laboratory Manager at FHC, where she is responsible for the testing of food, bathing water, and drinking water.
Her responsibilities also include the preparation and coordination of the practical portion of accreditation audits for the inspection and testing body in accordance with EN ISO/IEC 17020 and EN ISO/IEC 17025.
Dr. Viktoria Sterzinger
Head of Analytics
Dr. Jan Fricke
Head of Analytics
Dr. Jan-Niklas Fricke is the laboratory manager for sites in Germany and Spain. He has extensive experience in the field of residue analysis of fruit, vegetables and drinking water.
After studying chemistry at the University of Göttingen, Dr. Fricke earned his doctorate in the interdisciplinary field of natural product chemistry at the University of Tübingen. He then led an international laboratory group, first as head of the organic chemistry department and later as head of the chemistry laboratory, where he was responsible for environmental analysis. His research focused particularly on the analysis of water for pesticides and trace substances such as pharmaceuticals and perfluorinated compounds (PFAS).
Later in his professional career, Dr. Fricke held a responsible position with a further focus on process optimization and innovation management, as well as the development of analytical methods and customer consulting in the field of pesticides and trace substances.
Since 2022, Dr. Fricke has been Head of International Laboratory at Labor Dr. Lippert GmbH, responsible for the Sinzig, Germany and Valencia, Spain locations. In this role, he was particularly responsible for setting up the new Valencia location and its initial accreditation according to DIN EN ISO 17025, as well as establishing drinking water analysis at the Sinzig location.
Dr. Fricke is a frequent guest speaker at industry events and is considered an expert in the field of residue analysis in fresh foods.
Dr. Jan Fricke
Head of Analytics
Dr. Thomas Hofmann
Head of Analytics
Dr. Thomas Hofmann is a state-certified food chemist and has extensive experience in the field of instrumental analysis.
After studying food chemistry at the Technical University of Dresden, Thomas first completed his 2nd state examination (food chemistry) at the State Investigation Institute for Health and Veterinary Affairs Saxony, where he focused particularly on food law.
After passing his second state examination, he received his doctorate on the topic of "Free Maillard reaction products in animal-based foods as markers for species-appropriate animal feeding".
Since 2019, Thomas has been head of testing at Labor Kneißler GmbH & Co.KG and responsible for gas chromatography-based methods including the analysis of mineral oil hydrocarbons (since 2021).
Since 2020 he has been involved in a § 64 LFGB working group within the framework of the Official Collection of Investigation Procedures (ASU) and since 2025 has been a member of the DIN working committee NA 057-01-14 AA on process contaminants.
Dr. Thomas Hofmann
Head of Analytics
Dr. Markus Woitke
Audits
Dr. rer. nat. Markus Woitke is a specialist in post harvest physiology, shelf-life and quality of fruits and vegetables, as well as marketing standards (EU-SVN, EU-AVN, UNECE), control systems, testing systems and labeling law.
After studying biology at the Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, specializing in botany, ecology, and genetics, he earned his doctorate with a dissertation on factors influencing the population development of invasive plant species. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Würzburg in the field of plant physiology.
Dr. Woitke worked as a working group leader and coordinator in the EU research project "ECOPONICS" at the Technical University of Munich. He also completed research stays in Venezuela and Namibia
Since 2007, Dr. Woitke has held leading and independent positions in the fruit and vegetable industry, including as managing director of Krauss/Woitke GbR and Fruitec srl, focusing on quality management, product sourcing and marketing.
Since 2018 he has been a project manager at Dr. Lippert Quality Management and is responsible for product knowledge, marketing standards, control systems, audits as well as training and expert assessment activities.
In addition, he is a lecturer in the Food Management program at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Heilbronn and a sought-after guest speaker and presenter at industry events and specialist forums.
Dr. Markus Woitke
Audits
Oliver Plehn
Management, Authorized Signatory, Audits
Oliver Plehn is a state-certified food chemist, has sound practical experience in crisis management for investigating the causes of problems of a microbiological nature (especially Listeria, yeasts, molds) as well as foreign bodies and possesses broad international expertise.
After studying food chemistry and passing the second state examination, Oliver Plehn worked for 25 years in a management position in the area of quality assurance and product development at a company. Internationally active suppliers of private label products in the food and non-food sectors.
Oliver Plehn has been working at the technological consulting and development laboratory IBEN GmbH since 2023 and has been deputy managing director there since 2024.
In addition to his professional activities, Oliver Plehn is involved in various expert committees and organizations, including as treasurer of the Quality Association for Fish and Fish Products eV.
Oliver Plehn
Management, Authorized Signatory, Audits
Anton Wille
Managing Director, Audits
Mag. Anton Wille is a biologist / limnologist and has extensive experience in the field of water, drinking water and bathing water hygiene.
After studying biology/ecology at the University of Innsbruck, Anton Wille initially worked as a research assistant on national and international projects at the University of Innsbruck, where he focused particularly on aquatic biology/microbiology.
During this time, he worked on microbial metabolism in high-altitude lakes as part of the international MOLAR (Mountain-Lake-Research-Project). He also studied microbial ecology in extreme habitats (e.g., ice and snow).
Later in his professional career, Anton Wille completed additional training as a "hygiene manager" and thereby acquired fundamental expertise in HACCP, process control and quality management.
Since 2012, Anton Wille has been in management at Food Hygiene Control GmbH (since 2023 a member of the ARIANA Consulting Group) and is an expert for drinking water hygiene, bathing water hygiene and an approved expert according to the Austrian Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act.
As part of his work, Anton Wille advises water suppliers, operators of bathing facilities and food producers in the areas of process optimization, quality assurance and crisis management.
Anton Wille
Managing Director, Audits
Elisabeth Walser
Managing Director, Audits
Mag. Elisabeth Walser is a veterinarian and expert according to § 73 LMSVG and has extensive experience in the field of food microbiology as well as the examination of drinking water and inspection of drinking water supply systems.
After studying veterinary medicine at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Mag. Walser initially worked as a veterinarian and in the microbiological laboratory at FHC, where she focused particularly on food and drinking water.
During this time, Mag. Walser was trained as an expert in accordance with §73 LMSVG for food microbiology, drinking water tests and inspections of drinking water supply systems.
Later in her professional career, Mag. Walser worked, among other things, as head of the microbiology laboratory at FHC, focusing on quality management, analyses and consulting, as well as in QM for the preparation and execution of accreditation audits according to EN ISO/IEC 17020 and 17025, and as a hygiene monitoring veterinarian.
Since 1999, Mag. Walser has been Managing Director at Food Hygiene Control GmbH and is responsible for the assessment of food and water samples according to LMSVG as well as for maintaining accreditation according to EN ISO/IEC 17020 and 17025 as Quality Manager.
Furthermore, Mag. Walser advises various food companies and direct marketers as well as operators of public and private drinking water supply systems in the areas of quality assurance, regulation, process optimization and crisis management.
Elisabeth Walser
Managing Director, Audits
Dino Marsciani
Management
Dino Marsciani holds a degree in Business Engineering (FH) specializing in food economics and has extensive experience in the field of food ingredients, fish and delicatessen products.
After studying food economics at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, he initially worked as an employee in quality management at COBANA GmbH & Co. KG, where he was particularly involved in maintaining the QM system and coordinating the quality control of fruit and vegetables from overseas in the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Antwerp, as well as communicating about quality between producers, shipping companies, experts, warehouses and customers.
Later in his professional career, he worked, among other things, as an auditor/consultant at Audit Support GmbH, focusing on customer audits.
He has been with IBEN Mikro Stop GmbH since 2013 and has been part of the management team since 2017.
IBEN Mikro Stop deals with product development, manufacturing and consulting for the optimization of food products, including in terms of shelf life and stability.
Dino Marsciani
Management
Willi Leurs
Head of Analytics
Wilhelm Leurs is a trained butcher and holds a degree in food technology engineering. He possesses extensive expertise in food technology and food microbiology – particularly with regard to meat and meat products, convenience products, ready meals, and delicatessen items.
After completing his apprenticeship as a butcher, Mr. Leurs studied food technology with a focus on meat at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences in Lemgo. He then worked as Head of Quality Assurance at a medium-sized meat products manufacturer. There, his responsibilities included establishing a quality assurance and quality management system, setting up microbiological laboratory analysis, optimizing chemical analysis, and developing and improving recipes and products. His duties also encompassed developing a specification system for merchandise, calculating nutritional values for menus, conducting HACCP training for employees in the meat products, commercial kitchen, and catering departments, liaising with food safety authorities, and conducting internal audits and supporting external audits.
Mr. Leurs further developed and expanded these areas of expertise at a convenience food manufacturer. In total, he worked in the food industry for approximately 17 years.
His diploma thesis dealt with the "occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in the production of cooked ham products". During his professional career in industry, Mr. Leurs successfully passed the examinations to become an IFS, BRC and FPA auditor, among others – however, he did not pursue active work in a certification body.
Since 2008, Mr. Leurs has been the laboratory manager at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, responsible for laboratory organization, food and water analysis.
He also supports and advises food companies and trading partners on microbiological analysis and key areas such as quality management (e.g., IFS consulting), process optimization, auditing, and crisis management.
Willi Leurs
Head of Analytics
Sven Ogiolda
Counter-Sample Analysis Expert
Sven Ogiolda is a state-certified food chemist and has extensive experience in the field of food analysis.
After studying food chemistry (diploma) at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and completing a practical year at the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia to become a state-certified food chemist, Mr. Ogiolda initially worked as a food expert at an international testing, inspection and certification company, where he was particularly involved in creating and checking declarations, preparing food law reports and statements and coordinating international customer orders.
Later in his career, Mr. Ogiolda worked, among other things, as a research associate at an accredited German analytical laboratory, specializing in sensory and comprehensive food law assessments of food products, particularly those of animal origin, as well as advising clients on testing scope. He also supported clients in product development with regard to analytical issues.
Since 2019, Mr. Ogiolda has worked for Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG as a scientific employee specializing in food analysis, and since 2022 as deputy head of the laboratory, responsible for reports and sample receipt. In addition, Mr. Ogiolda advises all food companies and trading partners in the field of food analysis.
Mr. Ogiolda has been a counter-sample expert for food products since February 2023.
Sven Ogiolda
Counter-Sample Analysis Expert
Thorsten Leurs
Counter-Sample Analysis Expert
Thorsten Leurs holds a master's degree in food technology and brings extensive expertise in food technology, safety, and hygiene. He supports companies with quality-related issues along the food value chain and also has in-depth auditing experience.
After training as a dairy laboratory technician and subsequently studying food technology (M.Sc.) at the University of Bonn, Thorsten Leurs initially worked as a specialist in food law in the potato processing sector, where he focused particularly on food law and the associated quality management.
Since 2022, Thorsten Leurs has worked as an expert in the assessment department of Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG. His areas of expertise include advising on quality-related issues concerning food, evaluating test results, preparing expert opinions, and conducting on-site audits of quality-relevant processes.
Since December 2025, Thorsten Leurs has been a counter-sample expert for foodstuffs according to §43 LFGB.
Thorsten Leurs
Counter-Sample Analysis Expert
Alina Lenitzki-Albustin
Audits
Alina Lenitzki-Albustin is project manager for HACCP & IFS and has extensive experience in quality management systems and food safety standards.
After studying nutritional science at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences (B.Sc.) and the study of food science at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (M. Sc.) Alina Lenitzki-Albustin initially worked as a project manager for HACCP at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, where she was particularly involved in creating HACCP concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Later in her professional career, Alina Lenitzki-Albustin gained further experience in the areas of quality assurance, auditing and standards and is certified as a Lead Assessor in the field of IFS Progress.
In addition, Alina Lenitzki-Albustin is responsible for conducting subject-related training courses and seminars.
Alina Lenitzki-Albustin
Audits
Alina Richter
Audits
Alina Richter is deputy head of the quality management consulting department and has extensive experience in the field of quality management systems and food safety standards.
After studying Quality, Environment, Safety and Hygiene at Rhine Waal University of Applied Sciences, Alina Richter initially worked as a project manager for HACCP at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, where she focused in particular on the creation of HACCP concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Since 2024, Alina Richter has been deputy head of the quality management consulting department at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is jointly responsible for the consulting, auditing and seminars area.
Furthermore, Alina Richter provides consulting services in the areas of quality assurance, auditing, standards, and crisis management, and conducts seminars and audits both domestically and internationally. She is also a certified Lead Assessor for IFS Progress.
Alina Richter
Audits
Anja Rehberg
Audits
Anja Rehberg is an HACCP consultant and has extensive experience in the field of HACCP quality management systems in craft businesses.
After studying Oecotrophology with a specialization in nutritional medicine (Dipl. Oec.troph. (FH)) at Münster University of Applied Sciences, Anja Rehberg initially worked as deputy head of the quality control department at OSI Foodsolutions, where she was particularly involved in quality assurance of the chicken meat products produced.
Later in her professional career, Anja Rehberg worked, among other things, as a quality manager at Meyhöfer Meat & More (wholesale with butcher shop) focusing on quality control and quality assurance, as well as communication with the authorities.
Since 2023, Anja Reberg has been working as HACCP project manager at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is responsible for the creation of HACCP concepts, as well as support and advice for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Anja Rehberg
Audits
Christoph Bleul
Audits
Christoph Bleul is an HACCP consultant and has extensive experience in the field of HACCP quality management systems in craft businesses.
After completing his apprenticeship as a butcher (with a focus on sales) in his parents' business, he undertook a second apprenticeship as a chef. During this time, the family butcher shop expanded into an EU-certified operation. Here, the extensive focus was on production, organization, customer service, and sales. In the fall of 1994, he earned his master butcher's certificate.
Since 2013, Christoph Bleul has been an HACCP consultant at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is responsible for the creation of HACCP concepts, as well as support and consulting for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Christoph Bleul
Audits
Dominic Pahlke
Audits
Dominic Pahlke is a quality manager and project manager and has in-depth expertise in the fields of quality management and microbiology.
After studying biotechnology and biopharmaceutical technology at the Technical University of Central Hesse, Dominic Pahlke initially worked as a project manager at Labor Dr. Lippert GmbH, where he was primarily responsible for the implementation of the updated requirements according to DIN EN ISO 17025.
During this phase, he also dedicated himself to the strategic development of the microbiology department and the validation of innovative testing methods.
Later in his professional career, Dominic Pahlke played a key role in setting up the second laboratory site in Valencia, Spain, as well as in establishing and accrediting the Drinking Water department at the Sinzig site.
Since 2021, Dominic Pahlke has headed the microbiology and quality management departments at Labor Dr. Lippert GmbH and Lippert Inspection GmbH.
Furthermore, Dominic Pahlke provides comprehensive advice to producers, traders and logistics companies in the food industry on the implementation of international certification standards such as IFS, QS, CoC and organic.
Dominic Pahlke
Audits
Jonas Kuhn
Audits
Jonas Kuhn is a project assistant in the HACCP field and has extensive experience in quality management and agriculture with a focus on animal husbandry.
Since 2014, alongside his studies in Sustainable Agriculture (B.Sc.), Jonas Kuhn has worked as a project assistant at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, where he is responsible for developing HACCP concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises. Over the course of his many years with the company, Jonas Kuhn has gained further experience in quality assurance, auditing, and standards.
In addition, Jonas Kuhn audits agricultural businesses and slaughterhouses in the areas of animal welfare and animal husbandry standards.
Jonas Kuhn
Audits
Karsten Moers
Audits
Karsten Moers is a certified technical business administrator (IHK), state-certified food technologist, and confectioner. He has extensive experience in quality management for food companies of various sizes and industries, as well as in production management and planning.
After training as a food technologist at the ZDS in Solingen, Karsten Moers initially worked as deputy head of the quality management department and product development at the Rheinische Konservenfabrik Georg Seidel, where he was particularly involved in quality assurance.
Later in his career, Karsten Moers worked as a production shift supervisor and assistant to the plant manager in two companies within the Henry Lambertz Group, focusing on production management, planning, and control. His responsibilities also included implementing and maintaining quality management in production.
Since 2016, Karsten Moers has been working as a quality management consultant at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is mainly responsible for supporting GFSI-certified food companies.
In addition, Karsten Moers advises companies on ethics and sustainability standards.
In addition to his professional activities, Karsten Moers is in contact with the Canning Technicians Association (KTV).
Karsten Moers
Audits
Katharina Nogossek
Audits
Katharina Nogossek is a certified nutritionist and has extensive experience in the food industry and food trade.
During her studies in nutritional science at the University of Bonn, Ms. Nogossek gained her first professional experience in the field of community catering at the Bonn Student Union and at the Rasting meat processing plant, where she wrote her diploma thesis.
After completing her studies, she initially worked at ELAB GmbH & Co. KG, a private laboratory of the TÜV Süd Group, where she gained particular experience in the field of microbiological and chemical food analysis as well as in the field of certification according to various food safety standards.
Later in her professional career, Ms. Nogossek worked, among other things, at Bauerngut GmbH & Co. KG and at Dohle Handelsgruppe GmbH & Co. KG in the field of quality management.
Since 2018, Ms. Nogossek has been working as a consultant at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG, advising various clients from the food industry and food trade on various aspects, conducting first and second party audits, and is an approved IFS Progress Assessor.
Katharina Nogossek
Audits
Lukas Oymanns
Audits
Lukas Oymanns is a chef and food technologist and has extensive experience in HACCP and quality management systems in food processing craft businesses.
After training as a cook, he worked in an à la carte restaurant, later followed by further professional training as a food technologist, specializing in food technology at the KIN eV food institute in Neumünster, Schleswig-Holstein.
Later in his professional career, Lukas Oymanns worked, among other things, as a quality management consultant in the field service of the BAV INSTITUT.
Hygiene and Quality Assurance GmbH specializing in HACCP and quality management consulting for food processing businesses.
Since 2021, Lukas Oymanns has been working as HACCP project manager at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is responsible for the creation of HACCP concepts, as well as quality management consulting for small and medium-sized food processing companies.
Furthermore, Lukas Oymanns is responsible for conducting subject-related training courses and seminars.
Lukas Oymanns
Audits
Mareen Tempel
Audits
Mareen Tempel is an ecotrophologist and, since completing her studies in food and nutritional sciences (M.Sc.) at Hochschule Niederrhein, has worked as an HACCP consultant in the field service of Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG.
Mareen Tempel is responsible for developing and implementing HACCP concepts, as well as supporting and advising small and medium-sized enterprises. Over the course of her many years with the company, Mareen Tempel has gained further experience in quality assurance, auditing, and standards.
In addition to her extensive experience in quality management systems, she possesses in-depth knowledge in the core areas of hygiene, microbiology, and food law. Furthermore, Mareen Tempel is responsible for conducting specialized training courses in food processing companies.
Mareen Tempel
Audits
Michael Luberichs
Audits
Michael Luberichs is a chef and food technologist and has extensive experience in consulting, auditing and training in the entire food industry and partly also in the animal feed industry.
After completing his apprenticeship as a chef, he worked in an à la carte restaurant and later as a restaurant manager. He then pursued further professional development as a food technologist at the ZDS in Solingen. Following this, he worked in quality assurance at McDonald's, specializing in sensory analysis.
Since 2010, Michael Luberichs has been Head of Quality Management Consulting at Dr. Berns Laboratorium GmbH & Co. KG and is responsible for the areas of consulting, auditing and seminars.
Furthermore, Michael Luberichs provides consulting services in the areas of quality assurance, auditing, standards, and crisis management, and conducts seminars and audits both domestically and internationally. He is also a certified Lead Assessor for IFS Progress.
Michael Luberichs
Audits
Philipp Loer
Audits
Philipp Loer is Head of Research and Development at Lippert Inspection GmbH. He has extensive experience in auditing, employee training, and the digitalization of processes within the fruit and vegetable industry.
After completing his studies in Agricultural Sciences (B.Sc.) and Crop Sciences (M.Sc.) at the University of Bonn, he began working as a project manager at Lippert Inspection GmbH in 2017. Over the course of his career, he assumed increasing responsibility and is now Head of Research and Development, focusing primarily on auditing, training, and research and development.
His key responsibilities include the further development of innovative solutions for the fresh produce industry, the optimization and digitalization of processes, and the professional support and training of employees. He also advises companies in the fruit and vegetable sector on matters of quality assurance, auditing, and process optimization.
Philipp Loer
Audits
Bernhard Knurr
Audits
Bernhard Knurr holds a Diploma in Food Technology Engineering (University of Applied Sciences) and has many years of experience in IFS Food, quality management, HACCP, and hygiene. After studying Food Technology at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, Mr. Knurr joined Technologisches Beratungs- und Entwicklungslabor IBEN GmbH in 1993.
Since 1995, Mr. Knurr has been the Quality Management Officer at the Technological Consulting and Development Laboratory IBEN GmbH and is responsible for the implementation, maintenance, and improvement of the
testing laboratory's quality management system and for ensuring the testing laboratory's accreditation in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025.
In addition, Mr. Knurr advises companies on the IFS Food Standard, HACCP, quality management, and hygiene.
Bernhard Knurr
Audits
Dr. Donald Zink
President, Food & Regulatory Compliance
Dr. Donald Zink leads the food safety and food processing consulting group at IEH. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics and his M.S. in Microbiology from Texas A&M University, and his B.S. from Abilene Christian University. Prior to working at IEH, Dr. Zink worked for the U.S. FDA as the Chief Scientist for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
At IEH, he is focused on helping clients avoid food contamination from bacterial pathogens. Dr. Zink assists clients with broader issues related to food safety such as: process validation, allergen control, and chemical contamination. He is an expert in the microbiological and chemical safety of processed foods and fresh produce. He has extensive experience on low acid canned food thermal processing, aseptic processing, ice cream production, chocolate and confectionery products, infant formula production, beverage production, fermented and acidified foods, frozen and refrigerated food production, and baked goods production.
Email: don.zink@iehinc.com
Dr. Donald Zink
President
Food & Regulatory Compliance
Craig Wilson
Executive Vice President
We are delighted to announce that Mr. Craig Wilson has recently joined IEH as the Executive Vice President. With a career spanning over four decades, Mr. Wilson’s contributions to the field of food safety and quality assurance are exceptional.
Mr. Wilson spent over two decades at Costco Wholesale Corporation as the Vice President of Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Animal Welfare, and Non-Foods Quality Assurance. Costco’s food safety audit systems, Test and Hold Programs (pSTEC, Salmonella, Listeria) for fresh foods, x-ray product inspection, and unique positions on the Global Food Safety Initiative and the global regulatory environment, is well known industry wide. Mr. Wilson was instrumental in enhancing the company’s quality control measures and ensuring the highest food safety standards in the industry.
Prior to joining Costco Wholesale, Mr. Wilson worked as a Special Projects Director for Frigoscandia Equipment Food Safety Systems for over 24 years. During his time there, Craig published numerous research papers in the areas of food safety and food processing and holds many patents, the most notable for steam pasteurization of food, and is the recipient of the Gia/Matek Global Excellence in Food Safety Award.
Mr. Wilson’s involvement extends beyond his roles in various corporations. He has actively engaged with prominent organizations in the food safety sector. He presently serves on the Center for Produce Safety Board, chairs the Center for Food Integrity Board, and contributes to the STOP Food Borne Illness Board, the CGF Food Waste Coalition, and the National Food Safety Consortium Steering Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Camp Korey and formerly co-chaired GFSI.
Email: cw@iehinc.com
Craig Wilson
Executive Vice President
Dr. Mansour Samadpour
Dr. Mansour Samadpour received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Washington. After completing his Ph.D and post-doctoral studies, Dr. Samadpour became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Washington.
In 2001, together with Dalia Alfi, he started the Institute for Environmental Health (IEH) Laboratories and Consulting Group. Dr. Samadpour is an expert in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of foodborne and waterborne pathogens, the transport of microbes in the environment and food production systems, molecular epidemiology, and the design and implementation of proactive food safety systems.
As the head of our research and development team at IEH, a senior author on over 120 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and the inventor of over 70 patents, Dr. Samadpour continues to push the field of food safety forward. He has played a leading role in developing pathogen detection programs for food safety management and has been sought out for his expertise in most of the major U.S. outbreaks over the last three decades.
Email: ms@iehinc.com
Dr. Mansour Samadpour
Carol Cave
Executive Vice President
Ms. Carol Cave joined IEH as the Executive Vice President in 2024, bringing with her extensive expertise in regulatory affairs and consumer protection. She holds a B.S. in Consumer Economics from the University of Maryland.
Before joining IEH, Ms. Cave served as the Acting Associate Commissioner (ACRA) for the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) at the Food and Drug Administration. In this role, she oversaw approximately 5000 ORA employees stationed across the U.S. and around the world.
Prior to her role as Acting ACRA, Ms. Cave served as Deputy Associate Commissioner, where she managed inspections, compliance, enforcement, field laboratory operations, import operations, and strategic planning.
Earlier in her career at the FDA, she served as the Assistant Commissioner of Import Operations, where she led the Office of Enforcement and Import Operations, ensuring FDA-regulated imported products comply with U.S. laws. Ms. Cave also led coordination efforts between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, developing joint regulations, policies, procedures, and operations.
Before her tenure at the FDA, Ms. Cave was the Deputy Director of the Office of Compliance and Field Operations at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In this role, she collaborated with federal government agencies to identify potentially defective consumer products. With nearly 26 years at the CPSC, Ms. Cave held various leadership positions, including Director of State and Local Programs and Assistant Executive Director for the Office of Import Surveillance, ensuring the safety of consumer products nationwide.
Email: carol.cave@iehinc.com
Carol Cave
Executive Vice President
Dr. Robert Brackett
Senior Vice President and Dean, IEH Academy
Dr. Robert Brackett
Dean, IEH Academy
Dr. Suf Alkhaldi
Senior Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Suf Alkhaldi joined IEH as the Senior Vice President of Technical Services in 2023. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Cell Molecular Biology from Oklahoma State University. He also conducted a postdoctoral study in Rumen Microbiology in Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia and served as the manager of the DNA Microarray Lab at Yerkes National Primate Research Center at Emory University.
Before joining IEH, Dr. Alkhaldi spent over two decades at FDA which has been characterized by his exceptional contributions to innovation and regulatory excellence. He began as a researcher and food outbreak investigator at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), focusing on developing cutting-edge methods for identifying pathogenic bacteria in food using molecular techniques. With over 29 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 14 reviewed papers and book chapters, and co-editing “The Bad Bug Book,” he demonstrated a strong commitment to knowledge-sharing and food safety. Dr. Alkhaldi has played an instrumental role in resolving the FDA’s 2008 pepper outbreak investigation.
Throughout his extensive career at FDA, Dr. Alkhaldi held various roles, including Project Manager, Supervisor, and Senior Science Advisor in the Office of the Chief Scientist. He actively participated in influential working groups and the FDA Funded Centers of Excellence, reinforcing his dedication to advancing microbiology and FDA drug policies. Adding to his accomplishments, Dr. Alkhaldi received over 20 FDA awards between 2000 and 2023.
Dr. Alkhaldi was selected to lead the Office of Safety within the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). His exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic was evident as he led a team of 24 Industrial Hygienists and safety professionals. Their dedication ensured the safety of 5,000 FDA employees and provided support for 16 FDA laboratories, demonstrating his significant impact in fostering a safe and innovative regulatory environment within the FDA and the broader field of food microbiology.
Email: suf@iehinc.com
Dr. Suf Alkhaldi
Senior Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Sergio Sanchez
Senior Vice President, Analytical Services
Dr. Sergio Sanchez is a chemist with 28 years of experience in the areas of laboratory analytical testing, product inspection and audits. Dr. Sanchez received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico.
Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Sanchez launched and managed the global food safety business line for Inspectorate. His work included the design, installation, method development, accreditation, technical support and operational management of a global network of food testing laboratories and GFSI audit services. Dr. Sanchez also served as technical liaison to government agencies in charge of food safety regulations in Asia, Latin America, the European Union and the US, including active participation in the FDA’s Shrimp Pilot Program.
Email: ss@iehinc.com
Dr. Sergio Sanchez
Senior Vice President
Analytical Services
Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie
President, Meat Division
Dr. Koohmaraie joined IEH as the Chief Executive Officer of the Meat Division in 2008. He received his Ph.D. in Meat Science and Muscular Biology from Oregon State University, his M.S. in Meat Science from Texas A&M at Kingsville, and his B.S. in Animal Science from Pahlavi University. Throughout his career, Dr. Koohmaraie has focused his research efforts on the biological mechanisms regulating meat tenderness. Starting with the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the Northwest, Dr. Koohmaraie has been heavily involved in leading and conducting research projects to help the meat industry eliminate E. coli O157:H7 from the red meat supply.
After 24 years as a USDA scientist, Dr. Koohmaraie left the public sector to pursue his passion in the area of beef safety and quality in the private sector. Throughout his impressive career Dr. Koohmaraie has received numerous awards such as the Agricultural Research Service’s Scientist of the Year Award in 1992 and 2001, the Agricultural Research Service’s technology transfer awards in 2004 and 2008, and the USDA Secretary Award in 1995 and 2001. In 2012, Dr. Koohmaraie was inducted of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame. Dr. Koohmaraie has published over 400 scientific publications and has given over 300 invited talks to U.S. and International Organizations. Dr. Koohmaraie is an ISI Highly Cited Scientist.
Email: mk@iehinc.com
Dr. Mohammad Koohmaraie
Warren Mirtsching
Senior Vice President, Technical Services
Warren Mirtsching joined IEH Consulting Group as a Vice President of Technical Services. He has over four decades of protein processing experience related to Beef, Pork, and Processed Meats. His skillset extends across various areas, including Supply Chain Management, Production, Operations, Food Safety, and Quality Assurance activities.
Over the course of his career, Warren has worked with distinguished names such as Cargill, ConAgra, Swift & Company, Daniele Foods, and Meyer Natural Foods. During his time at Meyer Natural Foods – a leading provider of Natural and Organic Beef in the industry, he oversaw 50 global suppliers of beef, pork, and processed meats. Warren has held significant roles as the Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, Co-Packer Management, and Food Safety at Meyer Natural Foods.
Warren is adept at effectively leveraging, coordinating, and optimizing resources across a wide range of sizes and types. His cross-functional training equips him to pinpoint root causes through comprehensive analysis, resulting in solution-driven outcomes.
Email: wm@iehinc.com
Warren Mirtsching
Senior Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Michael De La Zerda
CEO of IEH Consulting Group
Dr. Michael De La Zerda received his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Animal Science from Texas A&M University. Dr. De La Zerda has extensive on-site experience at food production facilities.
Examples of his on-site expertise include: broccoli, ready-to-eat, nut production, the processing of nuts, onions, sprouts, chocolate, bread, and fish. Each of these opportunities has provided numerous experiences in consulting, HACCP plan development and revision, personnel training, validation of process control and microbial interventions, and detailed regulatory activity assistance (Noncompliance Records, Notices of Intended Enforcement actions, Notices of Suspension and Verification Plans, and Humane Handling issues).
Prior to joining IEH, Dr. De La Zerda was responsible for the direction and implementation of the food safety programs for a natural and organic meat company, where he oversaw multi-protein slaughter and ready-to-eat processing facilities across the United States.
Email: md@iehinc.com
Dr. Michael De La Zerda
CEO of IEH Consulting Group
Randy Porter
Senior Vice President, Technical Services
Randy Porter joined IEH in 2019 as Vice President of Technical Services after working for food processing companies such as Campbell Soup, Post Holdings, ConAgra Brands, Kraft/Nabisco and Dannon over his career.
Mr. Porter has a wealth of expertise in Operations, Engineering and Hygienic Design, Sanitation, Quality and Food Safety, both in plant and corporate environments. He has been in charge of domestic and international food processing facilities across multiple food categories, including dairy, bakery, meat, edible oils, eggs, snacks, agricultural, flour, frozen meals, chocolate confectionary, powdered beverages, fruit juice and more.
Most recently, Mr. Porter has held leadership roles as Senior Director of Food Safety, Hygienic Design & Sanitation at ConAgra Brands, Vice President of Quality & Product Safety at Post Holdings, Director of North America Quality at Campbell Soup and Senior Director of Food Safety at The Acheson Group.
Mr. Porter has authored and published multiple articles on Hygienic Design and has trained and presented at numerous food industry events and seminars across the globe. He is also a lead trainer for Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI), and Human Food Rule.
Email: randy.porter@iehinc.com
Randy Porter
Emeritus Senior Vice President
Technical Services
Thomas Hammack
Vice President, Technical Services
Thomas Hammack joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. He has over 30 years of experience in the field of food microbiology, working at the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Starting in 1990, he began his tenure at the FDA as a research microbiologist until he became the Chief of the Microbial Methods Development Branch (MMDB) in 2009. In this role, he led a team of 25 microbiologists in developing and validating methods for the detection and characterization of bacterial pathogens and toxins in foods and on environmental surfaces. After a decade as Chief of MMDB, he concluded his tenure as a Senior Policy Analyst for Microbiology in CFSAN’s Office of Regulatory Science.
He is a co-author of FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual’s (BAM) Salmonella, Cronobacter, and Food Sampling and Preparation of Sample Homogenate chapters. During his career, he Chaired the FDA’s Microbiology Methods Validation Subcommittee (MMVS) from 2017 to 2021, which oversees the validation of the microbiological methods used in the FDA’s Foods Program. He also chaired the FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Council from 2009 to 2016. He remained a member of both the BAM Council and MMVS until his retirement at the end of 2023.
Thomas Hammack’s expertise extends beyond his roles at the FDA. He currently serves as an Expert Review Panel member for AOAC International, overseeing the validation of numerous methods for bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli O157:H7. Since 2014, he has been a dedicated member of the MicroVal Technical Review Committee. Notably, he served as the Chair of the US Technical Advisory Group to ISO TC 34/SC 9 from 2011 to 2023, the committee responsible for the development of all ISO food microbiological methods.
Email: thomas.hammack@iehinc.com
Thomas Hammack
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. George Baker
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. George Baker joined IEH in 2020 as Vice President, Technical Services. He received both his B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida in Food Science. His graduate studies included storage water activity in low moisture foods, flavor compound formation during peanut roasting, sensory analysis (consumer and trained quantitative descriptive analysis panels), and instrumental analysis of fats and oils. Dr. Baker researched edible fat and oils, off-flavor formation in foods, and sensory evaluation techniques for over 20 years as a university faculty member and in his previous roles as CEO of ABC Research Corporation. He continues to research these topics in his current role at IEH.
Dr. Baker was an Assistant Professor and Florida Sea Grant’s Seafood Specialist for several years and is certified to teach Seafood HACCP and Sanitation Control Procedures courses. Recently, he became the Division Chair for the Institute of Food Technologist’s Aquatic Food Products.
Dr. Baker also worked in food manufacturing as the Director of New Product Development and Director of Food Safety & Quality, with roles as the SQF Practitioner and PCQI for two food production facilities with multiple production lines. He was further involved in snack food stability evaluation related to moisture uptake, fat rancidity due to autooxidation, problems solving in production, and various updates to food safety programs.
Email: george.baker@iehinc.com
Dr. George Baker
Technical Services
Heidi Wederquist
Vice President, Technical Services
Heidi Wederquist earned her M.S. and B.S. from Colorado State University in Animal Science and Food Science and Human Nutrition. Her Master’s thesis research included the growth and inhibition of Listeria monocytogenes in processed poultry products.
With over 30 years of food industry experience, her areas of focus include powdered infant formula and spray dried foods, fresh and frozen produce, cooked meats, and refrigerated prepared foods. Her areas of expertise include risk assessments and root cause analysis, conducting operational GMP reviews, and development of finished product testing and environmental monitoring programs. She also assists food companies with preparation for regulatory inspections, as well as working with companies on crisis response and corrective actions for regulatory findings.
Prior to joining IEH, Heidi worked for Chipotle, Inc. for ten years as the Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance in the Purchasing and Supply Chain department where she helped oversee quality and food safety programs for all purchased foods. While at Chipotle, she also developed an online supply chain management system and whole-chain traceability program.
Email: heidi.wederquist@iehinc.com
Heidi Wederquist
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Gene Bartholomew joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2019. He earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Cornell University and a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University. Dr. Bartholomew began his professional career at International Paper in 1983 as a research scientist. During his 15 years there, he commercialized and validated an aseptic packaging system, managed a beverage pilot plant and its laboratory, started taste panel testing for the company, and advanced to manage several product development groups. Dr. Bartholomew then joined Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats. He started in the John Morrell Group as the corporate director of food safety for 7 meat processing and slaughter facilities and 1 spice plant. He later took on the role of Senior Director of Corporate Food Safety, during which he was responsible for 14 meat processing plants and several FDA-regulated plants.
Throughout his 20-year career at Smithfield, he led HACCP plan design and validation, thermal processing, regulatory compliance, sanitation, allergen control and environmental pathogen monitoring. He also managed a corporate microbiology laboratory and its accreditation, and has certifications in HACCP training, BRC and SQF schemes, and is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual. Dr. Bartholomew was a founding member of the North American Meat Institute Listeria Control Workshop and has taught numerous courses to members of the food industry.
Email: gene.bartholomew@iehinc.com
Dr. Gene Bartholomew
Technical Services
Dr. Peyman Fatemi
Vice President, Tech & Regulatory Services
Email: peyman.fatemi@iehinc.com
Dr. Peyman Fatemi
Tech & Regulatory Services
Dr. Ramon Aboytes
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Ramon Aboytes joined IEH in 2006. He holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the National University of Mexico and both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Microbiology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Dr. Aboytes specializes in molecular epidemiological mapping of microbial contaminants that are necessary for trace back analysis of outbreaks of zoonotic and anthroponotic diseases caused by infectious microorganisms that are linked to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.
Before moving to the United States, Dr. Aboytes was a senior research leader for the Institute of Veterinary Research, Department of Agriculture in Mexico. Dr. Aboytes has over 35 years of experience in the practical applications of GMP, food safety, microbial quality control, quality assurance, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance in the US and Latin America. Through his extensive background in veterinary medicine, microbiology and applied research to contribute to the advancement of food safety.
Email: aboytesr@iehinc.com
Dr. Ramon Aboytes
Technical Services
Dea Lievano Woolrich
Vice President, Technical Services
Dea Lievano Woolrich started at IEH in 2016 as the Associate Director before becoming Vice President of Technical Services. Ms. Woolrich earned her B.S. in Food Science from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. Dea has 20 years of experience in food processing facilities, where she worked multiple positions in the Production, R&D and Quality Assurance Departments. Ms. Woolrich has some dairy experience, and nearly 15 years of experience overseeing multi-facility operations with refrigerated and frozen prepared foods under FDA and USDA jurisdiction, where she developed Food Safety Systems and Programs from scratch -including multiple HACCP Plans- as well as established a team of 19 employees in the QA Department. Since joining IEH, she has focused on performing facility assessments, developing EMPs and pre-requisite programs, and training client employees on proper aseptic technique, basic cGMPs, Sanitation procedures, root cause analysis and corrective actions. She is fully bilingual in Spanish and very comfortable working in processing environments.
Prior to IEH, Woolrich worked at Chipotle as the supplier-facing Quality Assurance Manager. At Chipotle, Woolrich was responsible for assessing new and current suppliers, enforcing company quality standards through continuous improvement programs working with vendors, Operations, Training and Supply Chain teams, investigating and resolving food quality issues by working with restaurants and suppliers, supporting the Crisis Management Team, as well as the Culinary Development Team by setting and documenting processing and quality standards for new and improved items. Woolrich is highly skilled at ensuring food quality standards, documentation, training, and operations.
Email: dea.woolrich@iehinc.com
Dea Lievano Woolrich
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Samuel Myoda
Vice President, Technical Services
Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Myoda worked at the State of Delaware, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), and the Division of Water Resources (DWS). There, he set up and directed the Molecular Biology Laboratory and was also involved in many projects including microbial source tracking, research, method development, computer modeling for water quality and hydrodynamics, risk assessments, water and wastewater treatment, environmental monitoring, and regulatory and compliance issues.
During his time with DNREC, Dr. Myoda collaborated with IEH on numerous microbial source tracking and water quality projects. In 2006, he was the recipient of the DNREC/DWR “Employee of the Year” award. As a result of his accomplishments at DNREC, he was invited to participate at the 2007 Experts Scientific Workshop on Critical Research Needs for the Development of New or Revised Recreational Water Quality Criteria.
At IEH, Dr. Myoda’s primary focus is related to food safety. He is well versed in all aspects of food production, including GAPs, GMPs, HACCP, FSMA, water quality, treatment processes, environmental monitoring, root cause analysis, sanitation, facility design, and data analysis. He focuses on supporting the produce industry, outbreak and regulatory support, bioinformatics and next-generation sequencing (WGS and metagenomics), method development, process optimization, and program innovation.
Dr. Myoda has served as a consulting and testifying expert in various legal cases, including but not limited to the 2006 spinach E. coli O157 outbreak, Tyson et al. vs. Oklahoma (2007), and Plaintiffs vs. Climb Works (2019). In addition to legal cases, he regularly consults with food companies on risk assessments, program development and implementation, product testing, and regulatory issues.
Email: sam@iehinc.com
Dr. Samuel Myoda
Technical Services
Dr. Robert Miksch
Senior Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Robert Miksch is one of the most senior members at IEH, starting with the company in 2001. Dr. Miksch received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Washington and his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He has authored, audited, validated and verified HACCP plans, and assisted clients in responding to regulatory notifications. These include: Noncompliance Records, Notices of Intended Enforcement (NOIE) actions, and Notices of Suspension (NOS). Dr. Miksch also designed and implemented microbial intervention validation studies. Prior to joining IEH, he practiced as a Certified Industrial Hygienist, with more than 20 years of experience in a broad range of private, government, and academic environments. He founded and ran a successful practice covering chemical and biological hazards in a wide range of settings. A key practice area was authoring pragmatic enterprise scale OSHA Process Safety Management/EPA Risk Management plans for food processor ammonia refrigeration systems.
Email: bobm@iehinc.com
Dr. Robert Miksch
Mike Gollinger
Vice President, Technical Services
Mike Gollinger joined IEH as the Vice President of Technical Services in 2023, following a distinguished career in the food and beverage processing industry. With significant tenures at Heinz Foods, Bay Valley Foods, Trident Seafoods, ConAgra Brands, and Smithfield Foods, Mr. Gollinger brings over three decades of expertise, most recently serving as the Director of Product Integrity at E.& J. Gallo Winery.
Throughout his professional career, Mr. Gollinger’s experience included Operations, Engineering, Hygienic Design, Sanitation, Quality, Food Safety, Potable/Wastewater Systems, Integrated Pest Management, and Retail/Restaurant Food Compliance in both plant and corporate environments. He has successfully overseen a wide array of domestic and international processing facilities, encompassing diverse food and beverage categories such as wine, spirits, juice, frozen foods, peanut butter/nut processing, RTE/fresh meat, canning, spices, fish/seafood, organic, Kosher, Halal, and more.
In addition to his private sector experience, Mr. Gollinger served as a Preventive Medicine Technician in the United States Navy and as a Public Health Inspector with the Skagit Valley and Whatcom County Health Departments in Washington State. His responsibilities included a range of functions, including retail, restaurant, and operational food inspections, as well as environmental health and epidemiological investigations, and pest control and entomological services.
Beyond his operational roles, Mr. Gollinger served as a correspondent on the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) Commercial Committee, where he contributed a food and beverage industry perspective to shape the NPMA Standards for Food Processing & Handling Facilities Manual.
Email: Mike.Gollinger@iehinc.com
Mike Gollinger
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Wilfredo Ocasio
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Wilfredo Ocasio joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Dairy and Food Science from Kansas State University and a Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from the University of Illinois.
With over three decades of experience in food safety research, Dr. Ocasio specializes in the validation of food processing and packaging equipment, the development of HACCP programs, and compliance with cGMPs.
Prior to joining IEH, he served as Chief Science Officer for The National Food Laboratory, and held the position of Executive Director of Food Safety Research for Covance and Eurofins Advanced Food Microbiology Group. Additionally, Dr. Ocasio currently serves on the Executive Advisory Board for the Institute of Food Safety and Health at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His contributions to the field include two terms as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and four years as Chair and Co-Chair of the Acidified Foods and Beverage Professional Development Group of the International Association for Food Protection. Dr. Ocasio has also authored numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed scientific publications.
In recognition of his outstanding work, Dr. Ocasio was the recipient of the 2014 Darsh Wasan Food Safety Award, sponsored by the Institute of Food Safety and Health. In 2022, he also received a Merit Award from the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists for his lifetime contributions to the institute.
Email: wilfredo.ocasio@iehinc.com
Dr. Wilfredo Ocasio
Vice President
Technical Services
John Allan
Vice President, Technical Services
John Allan joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. He holds a B.S. in Microbiology and an M.S. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Georgia, as well as a degree in Medical Technology/Clinical Laboratory Science from Georgia State University. Mr. Allan is also a certified Lead Instructor for Preventive Controls for Human Foods through the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA).
With over 26 years of experience in food safety and regulatory affairs, Mr. Allan has extensive expertise in advising food companies on compliance and inspection-related issues, particularly in food safety and quality standards. Before joining IEH, he led dairy food safety initiatives at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and held various leadership roles at the American Frozen Food Institute, the National Yogurt Association, ASI Food Safety Consultants, and the Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He also made significant contributions to the PulseNet Foodborne Outbreak Electronic Surveillance Network at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Throughout his career, Mr. Allan has developed and implemented industry positions and advocacy strategies that have influenced federal and state policies, as well as international standards. He has also held leadership roles on the Board of Directors of 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS), and the International Dairy Federation (IDF), further reflecting his depth of industry knowledge. At IEH, Mr. Allan will leverage his deep expertise to strengthen food safety practices, drive forward-thinking regulatory solutions, and support the advancement of industry standards.
Email: john.allan@iehinc.com
John Allan
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Paul Gerhardt
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Paul Gerhardt joined IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group as Vice President of Technical Services in 2025. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology and his B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of California, Davis.
Dr. Gerhardt brings over 30 years of experience in applied research, food safety, process authority consulting, and production operations. Prior to joining IEH, he served as Research Fellow, Preservation Technologies at JBT Process Technologies, where he led the development of thermal and non-thermal food processing systems. Earlier in his career, he spent 18 years at The National Food Laboratory, where he directed both the Aseptic and Food Safety/Research Microbiology business units.
Dr. Gerhardt specializes in continuous thermal sterilization, aseptic processing, and a wide range of packaging sterilization technologies, including hydrogen peroxide (vapor and condensing), peracetic acid, electron beam, high-pressure processing, wet heat, dry heat, and hybrid peroxide+UV systems. He has also worked extensively with Clostridium botulinum, developing surrogate organisms to validate processing efficacy and optimize microbiological safety.
He is an approved process authority by the California Almond Board and works closely with the FDA on regulatory matters. At IEH, Dr. Gerhardt will provide valuable guidance on regulatory compliance, microbiological risk assessment, process optimization, product development, equipment design, and in-plant operations.
Email: pg@iehinc.com
Dr. Paul Gerhardt
Technical Services
Dr. Peter Evans
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Peter Evans joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2025. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, an M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Evans is a highly experienced food safety expert with over 20 years of service at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As a microbiologist focused on risk management and policy development, he has made significant contributions to national food safety standards and regulations.
His work encompasses FSIS oversight mechanisms and HACCP systems for raw and ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. He brings extensive expertise in microbiological testing methods, including next-generation sequencing, molecular typing, and quantitative microbiology approaches, that enhance pathogen detection and food safety assessment.
He has also contributed to method standardization efforts through the Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), supporting the validation of methods used in both regulatory and industry laboratories.
At IEH, Dr. Evans provides technical guidance on food safety systems, regulatory compliance, and method validation to help clients strengthen their programs in accordance with U.S. and international standards.
Email: pe@iehinc.com
Dr. Peter Evans
Technical Services
Thomas Fleming
Vice President, Technical Services
Thomas Fleming joined IEH in 2026 as Vice President of Technical Services. He earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Purdue University and brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across the food, infant formula, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries.
Mr. Fleming provides deep technical and regulatory expertise in infant formula manufacturing, spray drying, acidified and low-acid liquid formulations, batch and continuous retort processing, and aseptic technologies. His experience includes the design and implementation of compliant quality systems within complex manufacturing environments.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Fleming held senior technical and quality leadership roles at Reckitt Nutrition, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Abbott Laboratories, and Zentis Food Solutions. He is recognized for building and mentoring quality and food safety leadership teams and for supporting the effective integration of compliant systems into manufacturing operations.
Mr. Fleming is certified in HACCP, PCQI, Better Process Control School, and Aseptic Processing and Packaging. In his role at IEH, he supports clients by strengthening food safety programs and advancing sustainable manufacturing solutions.
Email: tf@iehinc.comThomas Fleming
Technical Services
Dr. Catharine Carlin
Vice President, Technical Services
Dr. Catharine Carlin joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2026. She holds a B.S. in Biology from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University. Her doctoral research focused on atypical and difficult-to-detect strains of Salmonella and Listeria and their implications for the food industry.
Dr. Carlin is a subject matter expert in numerous bacterial pathogens relevant to food safety, including the Bacillus cereus sensu lato group, Cronobacter, Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli EHEC, Listeria, and Salmonella.
With more than 20 years of experience in food safety and microbiology, her work has encompassed method development and validation, laboratory management, microbiology technical support, auditing, traceback investigations, root cause analysis, and the development and implementation of product, raw material, and environmental monitoring programs. Her experience also includes process improvement initiatives and regulatory compliance programs. Dr. Carlin holds certifications in HACCP and Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI).
Dr. Carlin currently serves as Co-Chair of the AOAC Expert Review Panel for Microbiology Methods. She is also the convener of the ISO Working Group for Cronobacter detection, an expert member of the ISO Working Group for Listeria spp. and Listeria monocytogenes detection, as well as a member of the MicroVal Technical Review Committee.
Dr. Carlin is also an instructor and content developer for the Meat Institute’s Advanced Listeria Workshop and Foundations of Listeria Control program. She is a frequent invited speaker at industry conferences including IAFP, AOAC, the European Union Reference Laboratory for Listeria monocytogenes (EURL for LM), and AFFI. She has also authored several peer-reviewed scientific publications focused on advancing food safety.
Email: catharine.carlin@iehinc.com
Dr. Catharine Carlin
Technical Services
Mark Carter
Vice President, Technical Services
Mark Carter joined IEH in 2026 as Vice President of Technical Services. He brings nearly four decades of experience in food safety, applied microbiology, laboratory operations, and life science business leadership. Mr. Carter earned his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Georgia and holds a Master of Science in Administration (M.S.A.) from Columbus State University. He is a Registered Clinical and Public Health Microbiologist, RM(AAM), through the American Academy of Microbiology, with extensive training in statistics, epidemiology, and diagnostic development.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Carter served as Senior Global Software Product Manager at Hygiena, where he led worldwide software product strategy for the company’s food safety data and diagnostics portfolio. Previously, he founded MC Squared (MC²), an independent consulting firm supporting food manufacturers, diagnostic developers, and early-stage technology companies focused on advancing public health. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Matrix Sciences; Food Safety Manager at the Institute for Food Safety and Health, where he managed operations for the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance and developed the FSPCA Community Portal; Chief Executive Officer of QC Laboratories; Corporate Vice President of Research and Development at Silliker Group Corporation, now Mérieux NutriSciences; Section Manager for Microbiology and Food Safety at Kraft Foods; Laboratory Group Leader and Microbiology Department Supervisor at McKee Foods Corporation; Product Manager at Celsis; Corporate Microbiologist at Tom’s Foods; and Staff Microbiologist at Columbus Regional Healthcare Systems.
Mr. Carter is a past President of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and has been an active member of the Association since 1993. He serves on the AOAC Expert Review Panel for Food and Environmental Methods and is a Lead Instructor for the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, certifying Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals. He is also a past Chair of the Food Microbiology Division of the American Society for Microbiology and has served on the editorial boards of Food Protection Trends and Food Quality Magazine, on advisory boards at Cornell University and Tuskegee University, and on the board of Safe Tables Our Priority (S.T.O.P.).
At IEH, Mr. Carter applies his expertise in rapid microbiological methods, molecular diagnostics, method validation, sampling statistics, and environmental monitoring program design to support clients in developing proactive food safety programs and advancing regulatory compliance.
Email: mwc@iehinc.com
Mark Carter
Technical Services
Doug Craven
Vice President, Technical Services
Doug Craven joined IEH in 2026 as Vice President of Technical Services, bringing 40 years of experience in production management, sanitation, food safety, and co-manufacturing. Mr. Craven earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Craven spent 40 years with Hormel Foods in leadership roles spanning production management, sanitation, food safety, and co-manufacturing. As Corporate Manager of Sanitation, he led the company’s food sanitation and safety auditing programs, developed sanitation policies, and oversaw compliance as Hormel expanded into a diversified protein company.
Mr. Craven concluded his career at Hormel Foods as Assistant Director of Co-Manufacturing, where he managed quality and food safety across co-manufacturing partnerships.
He has served on numerous industry boards and task forces, including the North American Meat Institute’s Listeria Workshop and the Equipment Design Task Force, which received the AMI Industry Achievement Award.
Mr. Craven brings extensive experience in sanitation and food safety, with a career centered on collaboration with industry organizations, supply chain partners, equipment manufacturers, and regulatory agencies.
Email: djc@iehinc.com
Doug Craven
Technical Services
Kristen Bennett
Senior Director, Technical Services
Kristen Bennett joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services in 2024. She holds a B.S. in Food Science and Technology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. With over 13 years of experience in food development, manufacturing, and analytical testing in the food and brewing industry, she brings valuable expertise to IEH.
Prior to joining IEH, Ms. Bennett worked in brewing and fermentation, where she designed and built laboratories and brewing production facilities while developing quality and safety assurance programs along with yeast propagation protocols. In her previous role at Amy’s Kitchen, Ms. Bennett led the culinary team as an R&D scientist, focusing on raw material assessments, sensory and specification development. She is an expert in end-to-end product development, with a focus on product operational SOPs optimization and recipe formulation.
In addition to product development, Ms. Bennett was involved in the commercialization of Amy’s Drive-Thru restaurants with the transition from food manufacturing to food service. She is a trained sensory panelist and R&D developer with a strong food safety focus and training as a HACCP manager and PCQI. Ms. Bennett spent over five years at Merieux NutriSciences North America where she developed and implemented food safety, quality, EMP, and compliance programs for clients in analytical chemistry, microbiology, sensory, and physical testing.
Ms. Bennett is skilled in conceptualizing and implementing food safety and quality supplier monitoring programs that result in data-driven proactive compliance programs. Her focus is based on a sustainable whole systems approach to food safety and quality. With in-depth knowledge spanning various FDA manufacturing industries, including frozen foods, food service and retail, dietary supplements, bakery, oils, dairy and cheese, as well as IQF produce, she is committed to assisting companies in achieving compliance and ensuring product safety.
Email: kristen.bennett@iehinc.com
Kristen Bennett
Senior Director
Technical Services
Ivonne Litwin
Senior Director, Technical Services
Ivonne Litwin joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services in 2024. She holds a B.S. in Industrial Microbiology and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame – Mendoza College of Business. With over 20 years of experience in food, OTC medicine, and cosmetics analytical testing, she brings valuable insights to our team.
Before joining IEH, Mrs. Litwin held positions in Food Manufacturing in Colombia and the United States, where she worked as a microbiologist responsible for designing and conducting sampling and analytical testing across various product lines. In her previous role with Celsis, now part of Charles River Laboratories, she implemented and trained Pharmaceutical, Cosmetic, and Dairy companies on the Celsis Rapid Microbial system based on ATP bioluminescence for finished product release across more than ten countries. She made significant contributions to supporting these companies in validating systems and obtaining approvals from diverse regulatory agencies.
Mrs. Litwin’s career also encompasses over a decade at Merieux NutriSciences North America, where she played an instrumental role in supporting and implementing food safety, quality, EMP, and compliance programs for clients in analytical chemistry and microbiology.
Email: Ivonne.litwin@iehinc.com
Ivonne Litwin
Senior Director
Technical Services
Richard Thompson
Senior Director, Technical Services
Richard Thompson joined IEH as a Senior Director of Technical Services in 2024, leveraging over four decades of expertise in Food Processing operations. He received a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition from Ohio State University. His primary focus, centered on Dairy and Food processing, is complemented by his extensive experience in sanitation and CIP troubleshooting for primarily aseptic operations, both high and low acid.
Mr. Thompson’s skill set includes operations management, production, quality assurance, and food safety expertise. Before joining IEH, he held significant roles at renowned companies, starting with his tenure as a Technical Specialist in the seal team at Ecolab, and accumulating valuable experience through positions at Southeast Milk, Cutler Egg Products, and Southeast Dairy Processors. His professional background also includes roles at Meadow Gold Dairies and West Lynn Creamery, where he contributed significantly to dairy and ice cream production.
Mr. Thompson’s expertise in food safety is valuable to the IEH team as he supports technical services and contributes to advancements in food processing.
Email: rt@iehinc.com
Richard Thompson
Senior Director
Technical Services
Randy Fleener
Senior Director, Technical Services
Randy Fleener joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services in 2021. With nearly four decades of experience in laboratory analytical testing, product inspection, and audits, he brings extensive expertise to our team. Mr. Fleener earned his B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Manchester University, providing him with a strong foundation for his career.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Fleener spent over three decades at Mérieux NutriSciences, North America, where he served as Laboratory Director of their largest North American lab for over thirteen years. In his previous role, he oversaw significant expansions and improvements and managed various responsibilities, including instrument evaluations, method development, special projects, accreditations, technical support, quality systems, and operational management. His background also includes ten years in project management, supervising lab renovations and construction projects across North America.
Email: randy.fleener@iehinc.com
Randy Fleener
Senior Director
Technical Services
Jim Wohlgemuth
Senior Director, Technical Services
Jim Wohlgemuth joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services in 2024. He holds a B.S. in Production Management Technology from Kansas State University. With over 40 years of experience in food and ingredient operations and a strong background in food safety and sanitation, he brings valuable industry knowledge and expertise to our team.
Before joining IEH, Mr. Wohlgemuth had an extensive career with Frito-Lay, MGP Ingredients, Archer Daniels Midland, and Conagra Brands. He is recognized for his expertise in training food safety leaders, designing effective hygienic systems, and managing various cleaning processes, including dry, limited moisture, and wet cleaning. His skills extend to Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems, pathogen control, and integrated pest management (IPM). Mr. Wohlgemuth is skilled in optimizing master sanitation schedules and delivering effective food safety training.
Mr. Wohlgemuth holds certifications in HACCP, PCQI, and Purdue Food Plant Pest Management. In his role at IEH, he is dedicated to elevating food safety standards and advancing sanitation practices. His efforts are centered on implementing effective solutions and maintaining rigorous protocols to ensure the highest levels of safety and efficiency across diverse food manufacturing environments.
Email: jim.wohlgemuth@iehinc.com
Jim Wohlgemuth
Senior Director
Technical Services
John Iams
Senior Director, Technical Services
John Iams joined IEH in 2019 as Senior Director of Technical Services. He holds a B.S. in Food Science and Technology from The Ohio State University and brings over three decades of experience in food safety, manufacturing, and analytical testing.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Iams held leadership roles in the meat and produce sectors, where he built laboratories and developed quality and safety assurance programs. During his time with Bob Evans Farms and Club Chef, Mr. Iams led QA and food safety teams with a focus on raw material assessment, sensory and specification development, HACCP, and finished product improvement. He also has extensive expertise in environmental monitoring and optimizing operational SOPs.
Mr. Iams brings research and development experience with a strong focus on food safety and holds certifications in HACCP management, GFSI, and PCQI. He spent over 15 years at a global testing and certification company, where he developed and implemented food safety, quality, EMP, compliance, and vendor certification programs across analytical chemistry, microbiology, sensory, and physical testing.
He has expertise in conceptualizing and implementing supplier monitoring systems that support data-driven, proactive compliance programs. His approach emphasizes sustainable, whole-system strategies tailored to USDA- and FDA-regulated industries, including fresh meat, frozen foods, produce, dietary supplements, dairy, and pet food.
Email: ji@iehinc.com
John Iams
Senior Director
Technical Services
Gwyn Serbentas
Senior Director, Technical Services
Gwyn Serbentas joined IEH as a Senior Director of Technical Services in 2025. She holds a B.S. in Microbiology from Purdue University and brings over two decades of experience in the food industry, specializing in dairy, spices, and pet food. Her expertise encompasses food safety, microbiology, and developing customized shelf life and challenge studies.
Before joining IEH, Ms. Serbentas was part of Merieux NutriSciences, where she conducted extensive shelf life and challenge studies across diverse food matrices. She has worked with manufacturers of all sizes from small to large corporations, providing guidance on a broad spectrum of food safety issues, including, but not limited to spoilage investigations, environmental monitoring programs, microbiological and chemical testing methods, food safety programs, and contamination investigations.
At IEH, Ms. Serbentas will collaborate with clients to improve product safety and quality, applying her extensive science-driven expertise in microbiological and chemical testing to address food manufacturing challenges and support regulatory compliance initiatives.
Email: gwyn.serbentas@iehinc.com
Gwyn Serbentas
Senior Director
Technical Services
Randalynn Ranich
Senior Director, Technical Services
Randalynn Ranich joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services in 2025. She holds a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry and an M.S. in Food Safety from Michigan State University. With over a decade of experience in laboratory analytical testing, her expertise spans microbiological, chemical, sensory, and physical evaluations, as well as product inspections, research studies, and auditing.
Before joining IEH, Ms. Ranich spent over ten years at Mérieux NutriSciences, focusing on laboratory processes and procedures. She worked closely with clients to develop and implement food safety, quality, environmental monitoring (EMP), and supplier monitoring (SMP) programs, supporting industries including dairy, baking, ready-to-eat foods, frozen foods, and retail & food service.
At IEH, Ms. Ranich will leverage her expertise in food processing and laboratory operations to enhance technical support and develop innovative solutions while maintaining a strong focus on outstanding customer service.
Email: rr@iehinc.com
Randalynn Ranich
Senior Director
Technical Services
Jayne Roth
Senior Director, Technical Services
Jayne Roth, joined IEH in 2025 as Senior Director of Technical Services. She brings expertise in food safety, regulatory compliance, and public health. She holds an M.P.H. from the University of Illinois Springfield and a B.S. in Health Science with a focus in Microbiology from Western Illinois University. She is also an M.J. candidate in Global Food Law at Michigan State University College of Law.
Prior to joining IEH, Mrs. Roth spent over two decades in leadership roles across government, industry, and consulting. She successfully directed statewide food safety programs at the Illinois Department of Public Health and contributed to FDA regulatory policy as a Retail Food Standardization Officer. She was a key member of the Walmart Home Office Food Safety Team, where she was responsible for overseeing in-store food safety operations across more than 700 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs in the eastern United States. In this role, she ensured operational compliance with food safety standards, supported infectious disease response, and collaborated with the Walmart Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during natural disasters to maintain food safety and public health readiness.
For more than eight years, Mrs. Roth has also provided expert consulting to national restaurant chains and Fortune 500 food companies. Her work has included crisis and recall management, comprehensive risk assessments, and leading investigations into multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks. She continues to provide expert testimony in foodborne illness and regulatory compliance cases and is a recipient of the Illinois Public Health Worker of the Year honor.
At IEH, Mrs. Roth supports regulatory policy, outbreak response, and food industry risk management.
Email: jr@iehinc.com
Jayne Roth
Senior Director
Technical Services
Richard Paul Platzgummer
Senior Director, Technical Services
Richard Paul Platzgummer joined IEH as Senior Director of Technical Services. He is a QHSE, food safety, and sanitation consultant with more than 20 years of experience supporting sanitation troubleshooting, cleaning validation (clean-in-place and dry cleaning), allergen validation, environmental monitoring, microbiological risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance in USDA- and FDA/FSMA-regulated environments and GFSI-certified facilities. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.A. in International Relations, and maintains professional credentials including Six Sigma Black Belt, SQF Practitioner, HACCP, ISO practitioner certifications, and certification through the National Pest Management Association.
Throughout his career, Mr. Platzgummer has led and supported hygienic design assessments and remediation, microbial root-cause investigations, sanitation verification and trending, and the development of sanitation standard operating procedures and master sanitation schedules. He has also supported audit readiness and audit recovery, and corrective action closure following microbial or allergen findings.
His professional background includes corporate and plant leadership roles with Gowan Company as Global Head of Industrial HSE, Kerry Americas as North America Corporate Sanitarian, and ConAgra Foods as Plant Pest Control and Sanitation Manager. He also has direct sanitation management experience in USDA-regulated food processing facilities through his work with DCS Sanitation Management, now Packers Sanitation Services, where he was directly involved in sanitation management within USDA-regulated food processing environments.
Mr. Platzgummer is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese and has supported multi-site and multinational teams through practical food safety training and implementation.
Email: rpplatzgummer@iehinc.com
Richard Paul Platzgummer
Senior Director
Technical Services
Dr. Fereidoun Forghani
Director, Technical Services
Dr. Fereidoun Forghani received his B.S. in Molecular Cell Biology and M.S in Microbiology from Azad University, Iran, and earned his Ph.D. in Food Science and Biotechnology from Kangwon National University in South Korea.
Prior to joining IEH in 2020, he gained further training through three postdoctoral fellowships from 2015 to 2020. During his post-doctoral training he developed rapid detection methods for identification of foodborne pathogens. He also performed research on the molecular detection of plant parasitic nematodes, through which he gained firsthand experience on the post-harvest processing of fresh produce and row crop agriculture. Dr. Forghani’s work developing patented detection methods for foodborne pathogens and hurdle technologies for microbial decontamination, and his experience working on antimicrobial treatments, dry foods, lactic acid bacteria, organic foods, microbial modelling and HACCP has provided him with a strong understanding of food microbiology and safety.
Dr. Forghani helps IEH clients improve the microbial safety of their products and is involved in designing and execution of special projects including shelf-life studies, process validations, method development and interdisciplinary research that address client needs.
Dr. Fereidoun Forghani
Director
Technical Services
Dr. Veronica Arias
Director, Technical Services
Dr. Arias has worked as a research associate at IEH since 2017. She received her Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology focused in Food Safety at Texas A&M University, her Masters in Food Science and Technology from the University Autonomous of Queretaro, and her Bachelors in Biochemical Engineering from the Regional Technological Institute of Colima.
After joining IEH, Dr. Arias became the technical area lead in the department of Reference Materials. She has been involved in validation experiments for our IEH-media formulation as well as performing special client projects. For special projects, Dr. Arias writes research proposals, performs experiments, analyzes data and submits reports to clients.
Email: vr@iehinc.com
Dr. Veronica Arias
Director
Technical Services
Dr. Fang Fang
Director, Technical Services
Dr. Fang Fang joined IEH in 2021 and established the IEH Rheology Lab in 2022. She received her Ph.D. in Food Science from Purdue University and pursued post-doctoral training in the School of Food Science at the University of Idaho and Washington State University. She then continued her research at the Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research at Purdue University.
Dr. Fang specializes in structural-functional relationships of carbohydrates and macromolecular rheology. Prior to joining IEH, her research focused on shear-induced aggregation and ordering of polymers, macromolecular interactions, food processing, and food texture modifications.
Since joining IEH, Dr. Fang has been working on the R&D of future foods and rehydratable film and gel products. She also assists IEH clients in product development, ingredient assessments and applications, rheological analysis, and provides innovative solutions to support the food and cosmetics industry.
Email: f.fang@iehinc.com
Dr. Fang Fang
Director
Technical Services
Dr. Xing Fei
Director, Technical Services
Dr. Xing Fei joined IEH in 2018. He holds a B.E. in Food Science and Engineering from Huazhong Agricultural University, an M.S. in Food Science from Guangdong Ocean University, and a Ph.D. in Biological and Food Process Engineering from Purdue University.
Dr. Fei’s expertise encompasses a range of areas within food science and engineering, with a particular focus on food material characterization and product development. His research involves protein in meat and dairy, cell wall microfibrils in vegetables and fruits, polymers like hydrogel, as well as heat and mass transfer and bioseparation in product processes.
Before joining IEH, Dr. Fei served as a research scientist at the Fishery Machinery and Instrument Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences in Shanghai, specializing in aquatic food processing and the design of processing machines and instruments.
At IEH, Dr. Fei collaborates with clients on various projects, such as new product development, textural and physical characterization, process validation and modeling, and sensory evaluation.
Email: xing.fei@iehinc.com
Dr. Xing Fei
Director
Technical Services
Jennifer Bender
Director Technical Services
Jennifer Bender joined IEH as Director of Technical Services in 2024, bringing over 30 years of experience in the food industry. She began her career in the dairy sector, focusing on cheese production and in-house laboratory work. Her responsibilities included microbial and chemistry testing, managing Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP), and overseeing laboratory SOPs and HACCP documentation.
Before joining IEH, Mrs. Bender worked at Hygiena, specializing in food safety testing with BAX PCR and Innovate Rapid Microbial systems, including ATP bio-luminescence for finished product release. Prior to her role at Hygiena, she spent over a decade at Mérieux NutriSciences, where she supported food safety, EMP programs, microbiological, and chemistry testing for customers in the nut, spice, dairy, and produce sectors.
Her background in both laboratory and manufacturing processes, combined with her practical knowledge of food safety and quality assurance, will support IEH in delivering reliable technical solutions and maintaining high standards in food safety.
Email: jennifer.bender@iehinc.com
Jennifer Bender
Director Technical Services
Dr. Masoud Tourang
Director Technical Services
Dr. Masoud Tourang joined IEH in 2026 as a Director of Technical Services, supporting research and development initiatives across food, biotechnology, and life sciences applications. He earned a Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering from Washington State University and holds graduate degrees in Agricultural Biotechnology and Environmental Engineering.
Dr. Tourang brings a strong technical foundation in biological systems engineering, biotechnology, and bioprocessing, with experience spanning microbial and cell-based systems, fermentation technologies, and downstream processing. His training includes work with bench-scale bioreactors, microbial fermentation, and purification processes within GMP-aligned laboratory environments.
Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Tourang served as an Associate Scientist at Inventprise, where he supported fermentation, purification, and scale-up activities for polysaccharide- and protein-based vaccine components. His work included process optimization, SOP development, and documentation supporting manufacturing and research operations.
Dr. Tourang’s research background includes metabolic engineering, bioprocess scale-up, and sustainable biomanufacturing using microbial and algal platforms. He has extensive hands-on experience with analytical and molecular biology techniques, bioreactor operation, and laboratory instrumentation, and has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications in bioprocess engineering, fermentation, and applied microbiology.
At IEH, Dr. Tourang collaborates on laboratory operations, process troubleshooting, equipment setup, and technical documentation, applying a rigorous, science-driven approach to support reliable, compliant, and efficient research and technical services.
Email: mt@iehinc.com
Dr. Masoud Tourang
Director Technical Services
Dodi Hanes
Director Technical Services
Dodi Hanes joined IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group in 2026 as Director of Technical Services, bringing over 25 years of experience in quality systems, regulatory affairs, and technical services across the food, beverage, and medical device industries.
Prior to joining IEH, Ms. Hanes was at Merieux NutriSciences, where she drove business development, managed regulatory compliance for food and dietary supplements, and led global expert services teams focused on quality systems development.
She has also held leadership roles at major manufacturers including Cott Beverages and Ethox Corporation, where she managed technical services, supplier compliance, and quality systems.
Her experience includes FDA and CFIA labeling compliance, development and maintenance of product technical specifications, coordination of supplier and co-manufacturer approvals, and implementation of change control and risk assessment processes for new ingredients and formulations.
Ms. Hanes has led onsite audits of co-manufacturers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and suppliers, and has overseen third-party certifications including Organic, Kosher, and Non-GMO. She has also implemented process improvements that strengthened compliance while improving operational efficiency.
Her background in both startup environments and large-scale manufacturing operations enables her to quickly adapt, troubleshoot complex quality challenges, and collaborate effectively across R&D, operations, laboratories, and external partners.
Email: dah@iehinc.com
Dodi Hanes
Director Technical Services
Joseph Obregon
Director Technical Services
Joseph Obregon joined IEH as a Director of Technical Services in 2026. He brings more than 19 years of experience in food and beverage manufacturing, sanitation, food safety, aseptic processing, and technical consulting.
Throughout his career, Mr. Obregon has held leadership and technical roles supporting dairy, beverage, and aseptic manufacturing operations, with extensive experience in clean-in-place (CIP) systems, ultra-high-temperature (UHT) and high-temperature short-time (HTST) processing, process validation, equipment commissioning, and sanitation program development.
Prior to joining IEH, he worked closely with manufacturing facilities and equipment partners across the U.S. and internationally to troubleshoot complex processing and sanitation challenges, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen food safety programs.
Mr. Obregon has also contributed to industry training and education, including developing and delivering aseptic processing and sanitation training. He currently serves as a committee member with the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists.
Mr. Obregon’s extensive experience in aseptic processing, sanitation, food safety, and process validation further strengthens IEH’s technical expertise in supporting clients across the food and beverage industry.
Email: jo@iehinc.com
Joseph Obregon
Director Technical Services
Rafal Knap
Vice President, Aseptic & Thermal Processing
Rafal Knap is the Vice President of Aseptic and Thermal Processing at IEH. Mr. Knap earned his M.S. in Food Science and his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia. Knap uses his extensive experience in microbiology, and conventional thermal and aseptic processing to design and manage complex validation projects of aseptic processing and packing equipment. In addition, he provides technical assistance to food producers in areas of thermal food processing (as a “Process Authority”) and food safety (low/high-acid foods, aseptic food products, food microbiology, risk assessment, GMPs, QC/QA issues and re-call assistance).
Prior to working at IEH, Mr. Knap worked for the National Food Processors Association and the National Food Laboratory. His roles included providing consulting services to clients in the areas of thermal processing, food safety, new technologies and on issues pertaining to food microbiology, food safety, risk assessment, food processing equipment and process design.
Email: rknap@iehinc.com
Rafal Knap
Vice President
Aseptic & Thermal Processing
Dr. Richard Miller
President of Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc
Dr. Richard D. Miller received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Pennsylvania State University, where his research was in the field of food microbiology. His postdoctoral research at Oregon Health Sciences University was in microbial pathogenesis. Since 1977, he served as a faculty member in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Louisville, where he is now an Emeritus Professor. Dr. Miller taught courses on infectious diseases to medical and dental students for over 4 decades; and mentored graduate student research on the Legionnaires’ disease bacterium, Legionella pneumophila.
Dr. Miller has performed Legionella environmental testing and risk assessments as part of public health efforts to prevent transmission of Legionnaires’ disease from building water systems. In 1993, he co-founded Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc. to provide water testing services, environmental testing (validation) and risk assessments for Legionella in cooling towers and potable water systems nationwide, with a focus on healthcare settings (hospitals and nursing homes).
Dr. Miller has extensive knowledge of other important healthcare-associated waterborne microbial pathogens. He also served on the ASHRAE committees that wrote and published the Legionella Guideline 12:2000 document, as well as the ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.
Email: rmiller@estechlab.com
Dr. Richard Miller
President of Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc
George Young
Vice President, Technical Services
George Young has extensive experience in Legionella consulting, microbiological testing and indoor air quality. He served three years in the U.S. Navy, as an emergency medical technician, holding certifications in all areas of advanced life support and providing training for emergency medical technicians. Upon completing his military service, he earned a B.A. from the University of Louisville and continued to work in healthcare before joining Environment Safety Technologies in 2000 and transitioning to the field of industrial hygiene.
George Young has led industrial hygiene teams to collect water and air samples for a variety of industries including healthcare, assisted living, education, manufacturing and food production. He was awarded the title of Certified Healthcare Constructor (CHC) through the American Hospital Association and holds a Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) designation through the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA). Recently, he completed a Legionella Water Safety and Management certification from the American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE).
Email: gyoung@estechlab.com
George Young
Vice President
Technical Services
Mike Jackson
President of JLA International
Mike Jackson is the President of JLA International. He has over 30 years of experience in the peanut and tree nut industry with a focus on food quality and safety systems, product development and research on peanuts, tree nuts and nut butter products.
Mike joined JLA in 2000, prior to which he worked for PERT® Laboratories for 14 years. During that time, his roles included Manager of Product Development, Manager of Analytical Services and Director of Operations. Mike is currently a board member of the Peanut Standards Board appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He received his B.S. degree in Food Science from North Carolina State University in 1986 and his MBA from East Carolina University in 1995.
Email: mikejackson@jlalabs.com
Mike Jackson
President of JLA International
Dr. Foy Mills, Jr.
Vice President, Ag Systems
Dr. Foy D. Mills, Jr. is Vice-President of Ag Systems for JLA International (JLA). Dr. Mills has served the US and international peanut industry for over three decades, first as an Assistant Professor and Extension Ag Economist at the University of Georgia (UGA) from 1987-1989, and since 1991, in various research, education, and leadership roles within JLA including writing for and editing, In a Nutshell, the JLA crop newsletter.
Dr. Mills now provides full-time support to the peanut industry after concluding a 41-year career in US higher education in 2022. He began his work as a professional educator as an instructor of agriculture at Lubbock Christian University (LCU), followed by stints at Texas Tech University as a USDA-ARS National Needs Fellow, UGA as previously noted, Abilene Christian University where he rose to Professor of Agribusiness and Department Chair, Sam Houston State University where he served as Professor and Agribusiness Program Leader, and finally as Provost and Chief Academic Officer at LCU. During his professional career, he was able to establish a seamless relationship between industry and academics, thereby enhancing student engagement. His work with students was recognized with five different national excellence in teaching awards and two distinguished educator awards.
Dr. Mills was raised in the small farming community of Anton, Texas, where his family were cotton farmers. He earned a B.S. in Agribusiness with honors from LCU in 1980. He completed the M.S. in 1983 and the Ph.D. in 1987 in Agricultural Economics at Texas Tech University.
Email: foymills@jlalabs.com
Dr. Foy Mills, Jr.
Ag Systems
Dr. Jack Davis
Director of Technical Services
Dr. Jack Davis started at JLA in 2014. Dr. Davis received his Ph.D and M.S. in Food Science from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and his B.S. in Food Science from the University of Georgia. He has worked extensively on many aspects of pre-harvest and post-harvest peanut safety and quality. These include optimization of processing technologies and agronomic strategies to improve finished product quality, advanced nutritional analyses, oil stability, sensory analyses, aflatoxin mitigation, and byproduct utilization. Before joining JLA, Dr. Davis spent ten years with a dual appointment as a research scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and as a faculty member at NCSU in the department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences.
Email: jackdavis@jlalabs.com
Dr. Jack Davis
Director
Technical Services
David DeShazo
Director of Agricultural Services
David DeShazo is the Director of Agricultural Services for JLA International (JLA). David joined JLA International over eleven years ago and currently works in Texas servicing JLA labs in Brownfield, TX and DeLeon, TX after starting out his JLA career in the Albany, Georgia facility, headquarters for JLA International. David graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2003 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with an emphasis in plant biology and botany. After graduation, David began his career working for a high-end landscape company. After this eight-year career in landscaping, David decided to return to his home in South Georgia and roots in agriculture. David grew up working a family farm in Worth County, Georgia, where he learned many sectors of agriculture and agribusiness first hand. His combined efforts in agriculture and studies in plant biology have allowed him to grow within the peanut industry.
Email: DavidDeShazo@jlalabs.com
David DeShazo
Agricultural Services
Dr. Dilip Chandarana
Vice President, Process Engineering
Dr. Dilip Chandarana joined IEH in 2005. Dr. Chandarana earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Food Engineering from the University of Maryland, and a Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. He specializes in food engineering, heat transfer, thermal and aseptic processing, aseptic packaging, regulatory compliance, and microbial spoilage diagnosis. At the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), Dr. Chandarana developed research programs in the area of aseptic processing and packaging of foods containing particles and was instrumental in developing the first successful process filing for such foods. He was the NFPA’s leader for high temperature rheology research where he developed the NFPA’s New Technologies research program.
Chandarana also has extensive experience in testing a variety of aseptic processing and packaging systems, process designs, deviation handling, and spoilage investigations and diagnosis. Finally, Chandarana taught several better process controls schools, thermal processing and deviation workshops and aseptic processing and packaging workshops while at NFPA.
Email: dchandarana@iehinc.com
Dr. Dilip Chandarana
Emeritus Vice President
Technical Services
Mark Deniston
Vice President, Process Engineering
Mark Deniston has worked with IEH since 2005. He earned his M.S. in Food Engineering from UC Davis and his B.S. from Cal Poly. He has published papers on heat transfer to foods with particles, heat transfer to food products heated in steam/air retorts, and hyperfiltration technology for protein recovery. Deniston also was co-author of a National Food Processors Association (NFPA) book on automated control system validation. Deniston has taught numerous workshops and courses such as the FDA Advanced Low Acid Canned Foods Workshops, NFPA and IEH Thermal Processing, Aseptic Processing and Process Deviation Workshops, and Better Process Control Schools.
At IEH, Deniston conducts evaluation studies on automated control systems, 21 CFR Part 11 electronic record keeping systems, retort systems, and aseptic processing and packaging systems. He also recommends LACF and acidified thermal processes and evaluates LACF and acidified thermal process deviations. Deniston has held a part-time UC Davis position for 39 years, and before working at IEH, he worked at the NFPA Western Research Laboratory for 19 years in thermal processing and environmental engineering.
Email: mdeniston@iehinc.com
Mark Deniston
Vice President
Process Engineering
Marco Ambriz
Processing and Packaging Engineer, Process Authority
Marco Ambriz joined IEH in 2021 as a Processing and Packaging Engineer. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. Before joining IEH, he gained over six years of experience in the food industry in quality assurance roles at Olam Tomato Processors and Adams Vegetable Oils. He also applied his engineering background in the fire protection sector, designing fire sprinkler piping systems for commercial buildings.
At IEH, Mr. Ambriz supports clients in food processing and food safety. As a Process Authority, he designs, validates, and files processing systems for FDA-regulated foods, including acidified and low-acid products. He also evaluates thermal processing deviations and helps resolve spoilage issues.
His areas of specialization include the development and validation of thermal processing technologies such as HTST, UHT, and aseptic processing systems that meet safety and quality standards. He conducts FDA compliance audits with attention to processing equipment and documentation of critical control parameters, reviews automated control systems, and supports new product launches through risk assessments and strategies to minimize potential hazards.
Email: mambriz@iehinc.com
Marco Ambriz
Processing and Packaging Engineer
Process Authority
Merle Jacobs
Vice President, Agricultural Products
Merle Jacobs is the Vice President of Agricultural Products at IEH. He earned his B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Stanislaus. Mr. Jacobs has over 40 years of experience in agriculture including food safety, quality control, operations, regulatory compliance, research, sales, service, and industry relations.
Prior to joining IEH, Mr. Jacobs consulted on food safety in the nut industry and held the position of President and CEO of the American Council for Food Safety and the Specialty Crop Trade Council. Mr. Jacobs was with the Almond Board of California for 20 years. His responsibilities included food safety research and education, developing industry wide food safety programs, industry relations and ensuring marketing order compliance. He was instrumental in developing and implementing the voluntary aflatoxin testing and mandatory pasteurization programs for the almond industry.
Email: merle.jacobs@iehinc.com
Merle Jacobs
Agricultural Products
Dr. Peter Ferstl
Vice President,Technical Services
Dr. Peter Ferstl joined IEH as the Vice President of Technical Services in 2023. He earned his Ph.D. in Fluid Mechanics and Food Engineering and an M.S. in Brewing and Beverage Engineering from the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining IEH, Dr. Ferstl was employed for over 15 years in various positions in the food industry, including Director of Food Safety and Process Authority with Niagara Bottling, Director of Technology Transfer and Process Authority with Ripple Foods, and Process Engineer at the National Food Laboratory.
Dr. Ferstl consults clients in the areas of food processing and food safety. As a Process Authority, he designs, validates, and files processing equipment for FDA-regulated food categories, including low-acid and acidified foods. Dr. Ferstl also conducts assessments for thermal process deviations and provides support to investigate and troubleshoot spoilage issues. His expertise covers a range of processing methods, including the development of retort, HTST and UHT pasteurization, high pressure, and aseptic processes that adhere to quality and safety requirements.
His consultation services extend to plant inspections for FDA compliance, encompassing processing equipment and critical processing parameters documentation, as well as advising on sanitation and sanitary design. Dr. Ferstl also assists clients in commercializing products by offering risk assessment support and implementing risk mitigation strategies for various food commodities, including low-moisture and retail foods. Additionally, he provides training on FDA regulations, food processing, packaging, and food safety.
Email: ferstl@iehinc.com
Dr. Peter Ferstl
Vice President
Technical Services
Ruth Pierson
Vice President,Technical Services
Ruth Pierson joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. She holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from Southern Methodist University. Her academic achievements complement her extensive practical experience in operations, engineering, food and beverage equipment, quality, sanitation, optimization, and operational excellence, gained through positions at notable food processing companies such as Niagara Bottling and Tetra Pak, as well as other FDA-regulated firms.
Previously, she served as the Senior Manager of Technical Operations at Niagara Bottling, supporting both low and high-acid aseptic beverage plants. Prior to this role, she managed issue resolution at Tetra Pak for dairy, low-acid, high-acid, cheese, and ice cream customers. Ms. Pierson achieved expert-level proficiency in Tetra Pak’s root cause analysis process and shared her knowledge with specialists and field service engineers.
In addition to her academic and professional accomplishments, Ms. Pierson is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt from ASQ and has extensive experience in failure analysis, process improvement, and troubleshooting. She is also a Licensed Professional Engineer and has contributed to academia as an Adjunct Professor in Mechanical and Energy Engineering at the University of North Texas.
Email: ruth.pierson@iehinc.com
Ruth Pierson
Vice President
Technical Services
Alton Bradshaw
Vice President, Technical Services
Alton Bradshaw joined IEH as Vice President of Technical Services in 2022. He holds a B.A. in Biology and a B.S. in Zoology from The University of Texas at Austin, along with B.S. degrees in Microbiology and Economics from The University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Bradshaw also earned an M.S. in Food Safety, an M.J. in Global Food Law, and a Graduate Certificate in International Food Law from Michigan State University. Mr. Bradshaw’s MBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Arlington further adds to these achievements.
With over three decades of experience in the food industry, Mr. Bradshaw’s focus lies in food processing, including packaging of baby foods, powdered infant formula, bottled water, carbonated beverages, cereal, condiments, cookies, dairy, frozen fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, juices, RTE salads and RTC meals, spices, and seasoning blends. His skillset encompasses a range of thermal processing techniques, from pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized to aseptic and retorted finished products, with successful regulatory resolutions with the FDA and USDA.
Mr. Bradshaw holds five professional course certifications in HACCP, Advanced HACCP, and the IDFA HACCP Individual Certification Program. He has completed Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and Lead Instructor Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) training, in addition to training from Better Process Control School (BPCS) and the GMA Thermal Processing Professional Training Program (TPPTP). His vast experience includes extensive plant auditing, and he’s recognized as a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) expert, completing SQF Practitioner and Auditor training.
Mr. Bradshaw is a food labeling subject matter expert with training from ESHA Research, covering Genesis R&D Software, GMA Food Labeling, Michigan State University U.S. Food Labeling, and Leatherhead Essential Guide to U.K. Food Labeling.
Over the past two decades, Mr. Bradshaw has held leadership positions at B&G Foods, Dean Foods, Hans Kissle, and Weetabix North America, overseeing food safety, quality, regulatory affairs, R&D product development, and commercialization.
Email: alton@iehinc.com
Alton Bradshaw
Vice President
Technical Services
Dr. Bassam Annous
Vice President, Tech & Regulatory Services
Dr. Bassam Annous joined IEH as a Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Services in 2022. Dr. Annous earned his Ph.D. in Food Science from the University of Illinois, an M.S. in Food Science and Agricultural Engineering, and a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry from the American University of Beirut. His professional career spans over four decades in the fields of food science, food technology, and microbiology.
At IEH, Dr. Annous serves as a trusted consultant, specializing in overseeing industrial validation studies for the inactivation of select microorganisms. His extensive expertise in these fields brings valuable contributions to our operations.
Before joining IEH, Dr. Annous dedicated over twenty years as a Research Microbiologist at USDA-ARS-ERRC. During this tenure, he was instrumental in developing and validating innovative technologies for pathogen reduction for sprouts, fresh produce, and water. His contributions span thermal and non-thermal surface pasteurization techniques and the development of chlorine dioxide gas in food packaging systems.
Dr. Annous has conducted extensive research on the stress physiology of human pathogens and surrogates, particularly their mode of infiltration into fresh produce. He was one of the early researchers to identify the challenges posed by biofilm formation and attachment to inaccessible sites on fresh produce, emphasizing the importance of these factors in reducing the effectiveness of aqueous decontamination treatments.
Dr. Annous’s remarkable career has encompassed a diverse range of responsibilities and accomplishments, from studying anaerobic chemosynthetic bacteria to designing innovative commercial technologies for the microbial safety of fresh produce. His active involvement in shaping food safety guidelines, serving on international committees as an expert panelist, and being certified as a trainer and foreign supplier verification agent demonstrate the depth of his expertise.
Email: bassam.annous@iehinc.com
Dr. Bassam Annous
Vice President
Tech & Regulatory Services
Dr. Jaspreet Sidhu
Vice President of Technical Services
Dr. Jaspreet Sidhu joined IEH as a Vice President of Technical Services in 2024. He holds a B.Sc. in Applied Biochemistry- earning the University Prize, from Brunel University, London and a Ph.D. in Applied Biochemistry from Brunel and the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Following his graduate studies, he pursued a postdoctoral fellowship and took on senior and principal scientist roles at the University of Washington, Department of Environmental Health.
Dr. Sidhu’s expertise lies in establishing cell culture in vitro systems to model mechanisms of drug and environmental toxicants, including pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles in cell biology, molecular pharmacology, and toxicology. Dr. Sidhu is also recognized as an invited speaker and convener at national and international conferences.
After leaving academia, Dr. Sidhu was recruited as VP of Pharmaceutical Microbiology to help launch Molecular Epidemiology Inc. (MEI), a division of IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group. Through extensive sales and marketing efforts, aided by rapid intervention requests by clients, MEI grew to be an internationally recognized leader, serving primarily the GMP-regulated biotech and pharmaceutical industry with our industry-leading microbial identification and DNA fingerprinting services. At MEI, he was extensively involved in helping resolve major process and product contamination issues in the food and pharmaceutical industries, providing lasting solutions for brand protection.
Following his tenure at MEI, Dr. Sidhu held roles as VP of Sales at Eurofins Scientific North America Food and Head of Business Development of the U.S. East Coast at Jubilant Biosys Ltd., a CRDMO (Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing) based in India.
In his current position as VP of Technical Services at IEH, Dr. Sidhu is dedicated to providing technical expertise in regulated industrial scenarios, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and methods.
Email: jaspreet.sidhu@iehinc.com
Dr. Jaspreet Sidhu
Vice President
Technical Services
Richard Fielder
Consultant at Bio-Check
Richard Fielder joined Bio-Check, a specialist diagnostic test kit producer, taking on the role of Business Manager in 2013. He holds a B.Sc. with Honors in Biology and Food Microbiology from the University of Bath and an M.B.A. from the Open University.
As a food safety professional, Richard has acquired various certifications, including Chartered Scientist, HACCP (Level 4), Lead Assessor, and BRCGS Third-Party auditor. With over thirty years of experience in the industry, his career began as a Bakery Technologist at Northern Foods. Later, he transitioned into the role of Microbiologist, where he leveraged his expertise to effectively use cleaning chemicals in CIP systems within the brewery, dairy, and beverage sectors.
Throughout the last two decades, working with prominent food test kit manufacturers, he has shared his extensive knowledge and proficiency in specific immunological and molecular analytical techniques, contributing to the enhancement of food safety and quality. His expertise extends to areas such as food allergens, mycotoxins, and GMOs. Richard has been an active participant in the Food Allergen analytical community, collaborating with peers to elevate industry standards.
Email: richard@biocheck.uk
Richard Fielder
Business Manager
Bio-Check
Adrian Rogers
Consultant at Bio-Check
Adrian Rogers joined Bio-Check, a specialist diagnostic test kit producer, as Development Manager in 2021. He holds a B.Sc. with Honors in Microbiology from Aberystwyth University and was awarded a Fellowship by The Institute of Food Science and Technology in 2022.
With over 25 years of experience in immunoassay development, Mr. Rogers initially focused on tools for autoimmune disease diagnosis before shifting his expertise to food allergen and gluten ELISA and lateral flow methods. For over two decades, he has worked with several diagnostic companies to advance allergen detection technologies.
As an active member of the Food Allergen analytical community, Mr. Rogers has contributed to various stakeholder groups, including the AOAC Food Allergen and Gluten Working Group, ILSI Europe’s Food Allergen Quantitative Risk Assessment Guidance Group, the UK Food Standards Agency’s food hypersensitivity research priority setting exercise initiatives, and efforts to standardize reporting within the European Network of Food Allergen Detection Laboratories.
Adrian Rogers
Development Manager
Bio-Check
Brant Gibbons
President, Knowledge Anywhere
Brant Gibbons serves as President at Knowledge Anywhere, leading a team dedicated to delivering technology-based learning solutions that empower clients to achieve their goals. With over two decades of experience, Mr. Gibbons excels in driving growth, forging strategic partnerships, and ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction.
His academic background includes a B.S. in Marketing from Western Washington University and a certificate in Leadership from the University of Washington. Brant’s expertise spans performance improvement, learning management, CRM, instructional design, project management, and UI design.
At Knowledge Anywhere, Mr. Gibbons is committed to crafting personalized learning solutions that foster both learner empowerment and organizational transformation. He approaches client relationships with a focus on solving complex business challenges and cultivating strong partnerships, ensuring his team is integral to client success.
Brant Gibbons
President
Knowledge Anywhere
Dr. Hakan Gürleyük
Director of Technical Services at Brooks Applied Labs
Dr. Hakan Gürleyük joined IEH in 2020 and currently serves as the Director of Technical Services at Brooks Applied Labs. He holds a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, an M.Sc. in Chemistry from Sam Houston State University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from Boğaziçi University in Turkey.
Dr. Gürleyük focuses on developing new methods and resolving analytical challenges associated with arsenic, selenium, and mercury in many diverse matrices. With numerous publications and presentations, he is frequently invited to peer-review articles for various journals and present his research findings at reputable conferences. Dr. Gürleyük is an active member of the International Society of Environmental Forensics and serves on the editorial board of the Environmental Forensics Journal. He has also contributed as a member of the ASTM committee E50.06, focusing on Forensic Environmental Investigations, and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation Project Advisory Committee on Hexavalent Chromium.
Dr. Gürleyük further shares his expertise by conducting short courses focused on the determination of arsenic, selenium, and mercury species in environmental and industrial samples at various conferences.
Email: Hakan@brooksapplied.com
Dr. Hakan Gürleyük
Director
Technical Services at Brooks Applied Labs
Dr. Lisa Taylor
President and Senior Technical Director at Nautilus Environmental
Dr. Lisa Taylor joined IEH in 2021 and currently serves as the President and Senior Technical Director of Nautilus Environmental. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Taylor specializes in the planning, management, and interpretation of ecotoxicity studies with industrial wastewater effluents, contaminated sediments, and chemical products.
Her expertise extends to the regulatory application of these studies in Canada and internationally, drawing from her extensive experience spanning over a decade within the Canadian federal government. Previously, Dr. Taylor held the position of Vice President at AquaTox Testing & Consulting for four years and served as an Environmental Manager at Environment and Climate Change Canada for over a decade.
Dr. Taylor’s contributions to the field include her long-standing membership on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Ecotoxicology Workshop and her role as a Member of the Expert Advisory Panel for the Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA), where she assessed laboratories for compliance with ISO 17025 for nearly a decade. In 2022, recognizing her extensive expertise and dedication, she was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at McMaster University, the institution where she earned her Ph.D., solidifying her commitment to advancing education and research in the field.
Throughout her career, Dr. Taylor has demonstrated her proficiency in writing technical and scientific reports and has been invited to present her findings at national and international scientific meetings and conferences.
Dr. Lisa Taylor
President
Senior Technical Director at Nautilus Environmental
Molly Sims
Director
Technical Services at Applied Food Technologies
Molly Sims joined IEH in 2015 and currently serves as Operations Manager and Sensory Specialist at Applied Food Technologies. Applied Food Technologies has been the leading lab in the industry for Species ID testing. She holds a B.S and an M.S. in Food Science, from the University of Florida specializing in sensory testing and seafood quality.
With over a decade of experience in the seafood sector, Ms. Sims focuses on Species ID testing, quality assurance, and sensory evaluation. Her background includes significant contributions to research and development in seafood and snack products, enhancing her expertise in sensory and consumer testing across diverse product categories.
Prior to her current role, Ms. Sims served as an R&D Technician III at Rich Products Corporation, specializing in product development, recipe formulation, plant testing, and project management. Earlier in her career, she was a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Florida, where she focused on seafood lab research, sensory testing, and collaboration with industry through extension work and presentations. Ms. Sims’ strong expertise in sensory and consumer testing across various product categories demonstrates her ability to significantly improve and support diverse product lines.
Molly Sims
Director
Technical Services at Applied Food Technologies
