Natalie Dyenson Hopes to Use Her Problem-Solving Spirit to Advance Boar’s Head Food Safety

SARASOTA, Fla. — With more than 30 years in the food safety industry, Natalie Dyenson has taken on her next career venture as Boar’s Head’s new chief food safety officer.

Dyenson will spearhead the company's food safety program, leveraging her international expertise to ensure the integrity of Boar's Head products. She joins the team at a pivotal moment, following a 2024 outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes illnesses that killed 10 and was linked to liverwurst produced at a Boar’s Head facility in Jarratt, Va.

Her food safety career includes leadership roles as vice president of food safety and quality at Dole Food Company, as well as positions at Walmart and Walt Disney World. Her experience also spans roles at Silliker, Kash n' Karry Supermarkets and Harris Teeter.

While Dyenson is just weeks into her position, she spoke with QA magazine on her hopes for building up Boar’s Head’s brand and products through a food safety perspective.

“I really am looking forward to the opportunity to use all of my experience in every job I have had in my career to help this incredible company and amazing brand,” Dyenson said. “We’re going to continue to grow, and Boar’s Head wants to be the leader in everything, from the deli counter to its food safety program.”

Dyenson’s knowledge of innovative food safety technologies will be instrumental in reinforcing Boar's Head's commitment to consumer safety and well-being, said the company in a press release.

“I’ve worked in a lot of roles internationally, so it’s being able to have a global impact, whether it’s developing professionals in different countries or being able to figure out how to make food safety a global thing, because it’s not always thought of that way in the industry,” Dyenson told QA.

Working on the regulatory side of the food safety industry, Dyenson said U.S. laws, whether food safety or Environmental Protection Agency-based, have made it more expensive to do business in the country, affecting everyone from the people who develop produce seeds all the way to the retailer.

“We have created this problem in putting so much regulation in place that it doesn’t accomplish what it's supposed to,” Dyenson said.

Spending time at Dole allowed her to relate these challenges to Congress and individuals on Capitol Hill, she said.

A Problem Solving Spirit.

Prior to joining Boar's Head, Dyenson most recently served as chief regulatory and food safety officer for the International Fresh Produce Association and often contributed to QA’s Produce Production column.

Dyenson credits her unique food safety background to her involvement in global food safety initiatives, as well as being able to solve complex outbreaks, such as the Dole outbreak linked to harvest equipment that occurred in 2021 and 2022.

“We were able to find the root cause of the outbreak and did the swabbing, came back with the results, and it was a zero snip match to the outbreak strain,” she said. “I was able to go to the FDA and explain what happened. Having that ability to influence and change the industry through the exploration of the root cause analysis was impactful.”

Dyenson said one key takeaway from her career has been to learn to love what you do and bring passion and enthusiasm to each role.

“Whether you’ve got a bachelor’s or master’s, take the time to focus on learning whatever business you’re going into, and do the job 100% and stop thinking about what your next move is,” she said. “If you spend half of your time thinking about where you’re going next, you’re only giving half of the effort to the job you’re in.”