John Mwangi, Ph.D. is an independent food safety consultant with more than 30 years of experience in food safety and quality management, regulatory compliance, FSMA and HACCP implementation, and dietary supplements. Throughout his career, he has held global food safety, quality, and regulatory leadership roles at Beachbody, Starbucks Coffee Company, Nestlé USA and Canada, and the Coca-Cola Company, supporting food and beverage products across North America and worldwide. He earned a Ph.D. in Food Science from Cornell University, where his research focused on the aseptic processing of particulate-bearing foods.
The self-affirmed GRAS pathway has supported innovation in the food industry for decades by allowing companies to bring new ingredients to market based on robust scientific evidence. As FDA considers changing this pathway, manufacturers should understand both the criticisms driving the debate and the steps they can take to prepare for potential regulatory change.
