FoodChain ID is pleased to announce that Dr. Mitchell Cheeseman, formerly an official with the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA”) human foods program, has joined Decernis as its FDA practice director. Decernis, a FoodChain ID company (“FCID”), is the leading provider of global compliance databases for food contact materials and food additives.

“I am delighted Dr. Cheeseman has agreed to join us. With his added expertise, we will be advising clients in regard to food science, risk assessment and regulatory compliance for direct food and feed additives, food contact substances, color additives, Generally Recognized as Safe (“GRAS”) food and feed ingredients, and bio-engineered foods,” said Brad Riemenapp, chief executive officer of FoodChain ID. “This further expands Foodchain ID’s market position as a leading provider of technology and content solutions to assure the safety, quality, and sustainability of the global food supply.”

“I am very excited to be joining a global regulatory consultancy focused on my lifelong passion for food safety,” said Dr. Cheeseman. “Specifically, I’m looking forward to the challenge of expanding Decernis’ capabilities to include the development of premarket approval applications, as well as the safety and GRAS assessments necessary to establish compliance and market entry—both globally and here in the U.S.—for FDA-regulated products.”

“With Dr. Cheeseman, Decernis and FCID intend to extensively grow our regulatory advisory services. Dr. Cheeseman will be working with our global network of staff scientists that serve as Decernis’ boots on the ground in areas of the world where compliance requirements are constantly evolving,” said Decernis Chief Operating Officer Kevin C. Kenny.

A noted expert in his field, Dr. Cheeseman’s tenure with the FDA led to the establishment of the Food Contact Notification Program, where he oversaw 1,100 food contact notification reviews. Additionally, he assisted in developing the GRAS Notice program for human food ingredients and was the FDA signatory for nearly 200 GRAS Notices. 

While at the FDA, he also was a leader in both the Office of Food Additive Safety and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, where he provided input on a variety of policy issues including those involving FDA enforcement and the development of Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.  

A scientific leader in chemical risk assessment, Dr. Cheeseman guided the evolution of scientific review processes for low exposures to chemicals under the FDA’s food-contact substance notification program, the regulatory threshold approach to obtaining expedited FDA clearance of food additives, and the international effort to implement the principle of the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) in food safety regulation, among many other initiatives.  

Dr. Cheeseman will also support clients with respect to chemical registration and biocide registration as well as other aspects of compliance in the U.S. and other jurisdictions such as the E.U., Canada, Mercosur, China, and Japan.