PHILADELPHIA (April 16, 2009) — Nancy Childs, Ph.D., a Saint Joseph’s University food marketing researcher, has been appointed to Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Food Safety Council.
Childs, also a professor of food marketing, has joined the first council in the state to focus on food safety. As part of her role, Childs will advise the governor on the direction for security protocols and practices at all stages of the food supply. Chaired by Pa. Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff and Pa. Health Secretary Everette James, the Food Safety Council will facilitate coordination among federal, regional, state and local efforts.
“A threat to our food supply impacts not only the 63,000 farms in Pennsylvania and the millions of jobs related to the food industry, but the people all over the world that consume the foods we produce,” said Governor Rendell when he announced the formation of the council. “The Food Safety Council will help develop and implement the proactive food safety measures we need to protect the well-being of Pennsylvanians and the consumers of our state’s many food products.”
In recent years, numerous reports of food contamination have been linked to produce, fish, peanut butter paste and, most recently, pistachios. From the consumer's perspective, it's overwhelming to determine which brands have been affected and which are safe. This is where Child’s expertise is valuable to the council.
Childs, a recognized expert on food labeling, health and nutrition and public policy efforts to address obesity, researches consumer food behavior and is eager to address public health in this meaningful way.
“I’ve committed my career to understanding and advancing consumer knowledge of food for health,” said Childs. “All consumers, but especially those most disadvantaged, benefit from clear and easily understood messages – whether to eat healthier or to respond wisely when there is a food safety event.”
For more information on the Governor’s Food Safety Council, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Web site.
Background: Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive, educational experience. One of only 129 schools with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,500 full-time undergraduates and 3,200 graduate, part-time and doctoral students. Steeped in the 450-year Jesuit tradition of scholarship and service, Saint Joseph's was named to the 2008 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for General Community Service. The University strives to be recognized as the preeminent Catholic comprehensive university in the Northeast.
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Contact: Carolyn Steigleman, Associate Director of University Communications, 610-660-1355, csteigle@sju.edu.
