Wayne Melichar, M.Sc., is the Senior Director of Food Safety for Feeding America, where he has worked for nine years. He supports a network of 199 member food banks as a subject matter expert. He began his career as a Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner for DuPage County Health Department and then worked as a Quality Assurance Manager for Buffets Inc. He holds an M.S. degree in Food Safety from Michigan State University and a B.S. degree in Health Science from Western Illinois University. He is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS), a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual, and Certified Professional in Food Safety (CP-FS) from the National Environmental Health Association.
Recalls are an integral element of the comprehensive food safety system in the U.S. Removing potentially life-threatening products from store shelves and home pantries is essential, and making this process more efficient for the food banks and pantries is vital. The modernization of the current recall system must be inclusive of the entire distribution chain—including the real "last mile."Â
