Oregon State University has chosen a new director for the Food Innovation Center in Portland. David Stone, a faculty member in the College of Agricultural Sciences and current director of the National Pesticide Information Center will take over the position on April 1.

Dan Arp, dean, Agricultural Sciences, says Stone's background in toxicology and community outreach is a solid fit for his leadership of the center. The program is an incubator for food entrepreneurs who are turning Oregon's ag products into marketable foods.

Says Arp: "Dave has worked in the interface of agricultural systems, business, government and communities for many years. He's also an educator and a communicator at heart. I expect him to excel in engaging with the center's diverse stakeholders to promote and enhance our work."

Stone says one of his priorities will be to develop new capabilities and education programs to meet tougher food safety mandates contained in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. The law specifies new standards and practices for food growers, processors and sellers. Stone comments: "It's a chain of responsibility that emphasizes prevention. Part of my job as director will be to ensure the center is current and relevant with the new law and to educate producers, processors and others about it."

The FSMA also authorized funding for new regional centers for food safety training and education at OSU and four other universities nationwide. Additional funding from the state will support a new food safety faculty member for the Food Innovation Center, and Stone says he hopes to have that position filled by fall.

The center Stone is taking over is in Portland and is Oregon's only big-city agricultural experiment station - one of a dozen research centers across the state. The center offers technical solutions and consultation in product development and marketing, sensory testing and processing and packaging technologies.

Stone adds he is interested in folding community health goals into the center's food development efforts, citing a few examples: "Ann Colonna, our sensory expert has a state-of-the-art sensory program focused on low-sodium foods. Our research chef, Jason Ball, is engaging with underserved communities around the Portland metro area. If you couple these faculty members with our talent pool in product development, food safety and economic analysis, we have a real opportunity to support health communities and a strong regional economy."

Stone received his doctorate in toxicology from Oregon State University in 2001. Before his service at NPIC, he worked at the Oregon Health Division and collaborated extensively with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, an important partner with the Food Innovation Center.

Source: Oregon State University