As a dairy industry advocate, Wagner focuses on science-based food safety, labeling, and nutrition policies that facilitate innovation and growth.
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) on 7 June, announced Roberta Wagner as senior vice president, of regulatory and scientific affairs. She succeeds Dr. Joseph Scimeca, who announced his IDFA retirement earlier this year.
Wagner spent 33 years in public service, most recently as assistant administrator of the Office of Policy and Program Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Previously, Wagner served as deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations at FSIS where she oversaw a workforce of 7,800 inspection program personnel, including consumer safety officers, public health veterinarians and food inspectors. Wagner also spent more than 25 years with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), working in a variety of roles from analytical chemist to associate commissioner for Food Safety Modernization Act implementation.
“I am excited to be joining the IDFA team and for the opportunity to advocate for food safety, labeling and nutrition policies that are science based, practical to implement, and that facilitate innovation and growth in the extremely important and diverse dairy industry,” said Wagner.
IDFA’s Regulatory and Scientific Affairs team provides guidance and consultation to IDFA members in the areas of food safety, food defense, federal standards of identity, labeling, nutrition policy, sustainability, and environmental and worker safety. Scimeca will remain in the role through the summer to assist Wagner and IDFA with the leadership transition.
IDFA’s Scientific and Regulatory Affairs team oversees the association’s engagement with the FDA, USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and globally with the UN agencies and the Codex Alimentarius.
The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world.
