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David Acheson Assumes Director-at-Large Position
“It's a pleasure for me to welcome Dr. Acheson to AOAC as he brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and connections in food safety which will benefit the Association both now and into the future,” said Gayle Lancette, AOAC president. At the December 2009 AOAC Board of Directors meeting, Acheson provided some insight into the food safety initiative, encouraging AOAC to explore opportunities to support food regulation and trade through third-party testing by accredited laboratories, as well as opportunities in produce, economic adulteration, and foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. He anticipated that more outbreaks will likely be seen linked to ingredients--and, subsequently, recalls--which would open doors for more (rapid but risk-based) testing (of equipment, environment, final product). However, “Testing is only a small piece of the solution,” Acheson said. “The bottom line is that there is a lot of opportunity for AOAC to play a role in food safety.” As managing director at Leavitt Partners, Acheson helps clients enter new markets, enhance the value of their products, navigate dynamic regulatory and reimbursement systems, and improve health conditions around the world. Prior to joining Leavitt Partners, Acheson served key leadership positions at FDA, including chief medical officer, director of CFSAN’s Food Safety and Security Staff, assistant commissioner for food protection, and associate commissioner of foods, which provided him an agency-wide leadership role for all food and feed issues, including health promotion and nutrition. Acheson graduated from the University of London Medical School in 1980. He has published extensively and is internationally recognized both for his public health expertise in food safety and his research in infectious diseases. Additionally, he is a fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the Infectious Disease Society of America.
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AOAC welcomes David Acheson, managing director, food and import safety, Leavitt Partners, and former associate commissioner of foods at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to its Board of Directors. Acheson will serve a 1-year director-at-large appointment. 
