Tim Jackson Assumes Presidency of the International Association for Food Protection

Aug 08, 2023

Dr. Tim Jackson assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection at the conclusion of IAFP 2023.

Dr. Jackson is a Senior Science Advisor for Food Safety with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, joining in 2022. In this role, he supports programs in outbreak investigations, root cause analysis, and prevention strategies.

From 2017–2021, Dr. Jackson served as Vice President of Food Safety, Regulatory, and Social Compliance for Driscoll’s team in North America and South America. He previously served as the Director of Food Safety for Nestlé US and Nestlé Canada from 2009–2017. From 1998–2003, he headed the Microbiology Laboratories at the Nestlé Quality Assurance Laboratory for the U.S. and Canada. From 2004–2008, he was Chief Industrial Microbiologist for Nestlé’s global operations in Vevey, Switzerland.

Dr. Jackson has been actively involved in IAFP since joining in 1990 as a graduate student. He has participated in and led several Professional Development Groups, and has organized, convened, and presented at IAFP’s Annual Meeting, IAFP’s European Symposium on Food Safety, and other international and Affiliate meetings. He previously served as IAFP President from 2019–2020. He was elected as IAFP President-Elect 2023–2024 in March to fill the position due to the resignation of Dr. Jose Emilio Esteban from the IAFP Executive Board.

Dr. Jackson received his B.S. in Biology from Abilene Christian University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from Texas A&M University.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.