Boar's Head Brand Appoints Frank Yiannas as Chief Food Safety Advisor, Finalizes Food Safety Advisory Council

SARASOTA, Fla. — Boar's Head Brand announced the appointment of Frank Yiannas as chief food safety advisor on an interim basis, effective immediately. In this leadership role, Yiannas will be responsible for helping to ensure leading standards of food safety and quality across the organization. He will also oversee the nationwide search for a chief food safety officer to succeed him.

In addition to his responsibilities as chief food safety advisor, Yiannas will chair the Boar's Head Food Safety Advisory Council, which is comprised of other food safety experts. The council will provide guidance and support to the company's adoption and implementation of enhanced quality food safety programs. As previously announced, additional founding council members include Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears and Dr. Martin Wiedmann. 

The company stated, “At Boar's Head, we are committed to food safety, and we have a long heritage of manufacturing high-quality and delicious products.

We are continuing to take actions to ensure that we are operating in the safest manner possible across our network of facilities. As part of these efforts, we are pleased to appoint Frank Yiannas as our chief food safety advisor on an interim basis. Mr. Yiannas brings significant food safety and regulatory experience and expertise that will be pivotal in helping us shape our food safety programs going forward.

Mr. Yiannas will chair our recently formed independent Boar's Head Food Safety Advisory Council, which comprises three additional industry-leading food safety experts, Dr. David Acheson, Dr. Mindy Brashears, and Dr. Martin Wiedmann. 

By leveraging the council's collective expertise, our aim is to enhance our safety practices and set a new standard for food safety in the industry." 

Yiannas, MPH, is the former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy & Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and brings a wealth of experience in regulatory oversight and public health. His leadership in implementing the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) has significantly improved food safety standards across the nation. A renowned food safety expert, microbiologist and author, Yiannas has also held food safety leadership roles at Walmart and Disney. He is a past president of the International Association for Food Protection and a past vice-chairman of the Global Food Safety Initiative, as well as an adjunct professor in the food safety program at Michigan State University. Yiannas' vast experience in building effective food safety management systems through innovative ways and his foundational work on building a food safety culture will be pivotal in shaping the company's food safety programs going forward.   

Acheson, M.D., F.R.C.P., has a distinguished career in food safety and has served as the president and chief executive officer of The Acheson Group since founding the global food safety consulting group in 2013. Previously, he served as a partner and managing director of Leavitt Partners, where he founded and managed the firm's food safety services business. Prior to his industry roles, Acheson served at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for eight years, progressing from chief medical officer of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition to associate commissioner for foods. His expertise in international food safety standards and risk assessment is invaluable to the council.

Brashears, Ph.D., is a leading food safety expert and academic. Brashears was the former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food Safety and is currently a professor of food safety and public health and the director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University.  She has made significant contributions to the field of food microbiology and public health with her research on foodborne pathogens, prevention and food safety education that have made lasting impacts on the industry and will be instrumental in guiding the council's efforts.

Wiedmann, Dr. med. vet., Ph.D., is a renowned food microbiologist and academic, who is a Cornell University Gellert Family Professor in Food Safety and the co-director of the New York State Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. With training as both a veterinarian and food scientist, Wiedmann's programs focus on a comprehensive and interdisciplinary farm-to-table approach to food safety and quality. He has conducted extensive research on foodborne pathogens and their prevention, with notable insights into emerging food safety threats and cutting-edge technologies that will contribute significantly to the council's work.