FMI Hires Director, Food and Product Safety Programs
FMI – The Food Industry Association has appointed Shelby Furman, Ph.D., its director, food and product safety programs. In her new role, Furman will develop and implement food and product safety programs as well as directing food protection activities and providing technical expertise for the FMI membership.
Specifically, she will work on issues related to chemical contaminants in food and packaging, with a focus on providing technical expertise for science-based policies to regulate these substances and support for FMI members in regard to compliance. She will also head up FMI’s food safety efforts in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Closer to Zero program, which aims to lower the levels of heavy metals in foods for infants and young children.
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“We are thrilled to welcome Shelby to FMI’s food and product safety team,” said Dr. Hilary Thesmar, chief science officer and SVP, food and product safety programs at Arlington, Va.-based FMI. “Her extensive scientific academic background, in combination with her experience in the private sector, will bring a comprehensive perspective to our work in addressing chemical contaminants in the food supply. We look forward to the contributions she will bring to FMI’s food safety program as we support our members’ efforts to ensure the safety of the foods they produce and sell every day.”
Before coming to FMI, Furman was principal chemist at Advanced Polymer LLC, where she provided technical expertise on products; supported research and development of new products for auto care, marine care and construction; and synthesized raw materials for scaling up into production. Prior to her private-sector experience, she held various academic roles, including post-doctoral research fellow at Kingston, Ontario-based Queen’s University and graduate research assistant at the University of Tennessee. Furman received a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Longwood University.
