Dr. Timothy A. Freier is a food microbiologist with over 25 years of experience in applied microbiology and food safety. He is currently the Division Vice President, Scientific Affairs and Microbiology, North America at Mérieux NutriSciences and was previously Senior Director, Global Food Safety Innovation at Cargill. Dr. Freier earned his B.A. in biology from Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, his M.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from Iowa State University, and conducted postdoctoral work at Oregon State University. He has published several refereed journal articles, book chapters and patents, and has given numerous invited presentations on a variety of food safety-related topics. He was a co-developer and instructor for the American Meat Institute (AMI) “Advanced Listeria Intervention and Control Workshop” as well as serving on AMI’s Scientific Affairs and Grant Review Committees.
Dr. Freier has served as the Chairperson for several committees, including the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association (GMA) Microbiological Safety Committee, GMA’s Task Force on the Control of Salmonella in Low-Moisture Foods, the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Meat and Poultry Professional Development Group, and the IAFP Food Safety Innovation Award Committee. He is a member of the Sackler Institute’s Technology and Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Working Group and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for Food Safety Magazine. Dr. Freier has served two terms on the U.S. National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods.