The International Fresh Produce Association says Eric Stevens will join the organization as its vice president of food safety and regulatory affairs, effective March 18. He will lead IFPA’s global efforts to shape food safety and regulatory policy.
Stevens will serve as a key liaison to U.S. regulatory and food safety agencies and strengthen engagement with global and regional regulatory and standard-setting bodies. He will also support IFPA member needs through technical expertise, resource development and strategic collaboration with internal teams and external coalitions, the organization says.
IFPA says Stevens is a respected food safety and regulatory affairs leader known for his ability to translate science into practical, risk-based policy. Most recently, he led scientific and market development for farm-to-fork food safety diagnostics and supported verification programs aligned with global regulatory and audit expectations at Hygiena.
“Eric brings a valuable combination of deep scientific expertise and global regulatory experience at a pivotal time for our industry,” says Alexis Taylor, IFPA’s chief global policy officer. “His expertise in translating science into risk-based, practical policy that works for regulators and for the produce supply chain will be an incredible asset to IFPA’s strategic goals and mission. His leadership will strengthen our voice as we advocate for clear, scientifically rigorous standards that protect public health and support innovation.”
Stevens began a career in public service in 2014 at the Food and Drug Administration as an FDA commissioner’s fellow. He later served as a public health adviser in FDA’s Office of Regulatory Science, helping expand FDA’s GenomeTrakr, and completed a secondment with the World Health Organization’s Nutrition and Food Safety Unit, developing guidance for foodborne disease surveillance.
From 2019 to 2025, Stevens served as an international policy manager in FDA’s Human Foods Program, where he led science policy and regulatory cooperation on food hygiene standards, risk-based oversight and global market access.
He is also a delegate to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene and FDA’s Codex Alimentarius manager, where he worked across FDA, the U.S. interagency, global counterparts and the industry to advance science-based positions and strengthen international alignment, often in areas central to fresh produce.
In 2026, he was selected by WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to participate in a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting on the Use of Omics for Microbiological Risk Assessment.
Stevens earned a doctorate in human genetics and molecular biology from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, with a focus on genetic relatedness.
“Fresh produce is central to healthy diets worldwide, and advancing practical, risk-based policies is essential to ensuring both safety and access,” he says. “I look forward to working with IFPA members and partners around the world to foster regulatory alignment, strengthen food safety systems and support practical implementation in diverse markets.”
