Sanjay Gummalla, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs
American Frozen Food Institute
Dr. Sanjay Gummalla is sr. vice president of scientific affairs, at the American
Frozen Food Institute (AFFI). His broad industry experience in food science and
nutrition are key to guiding science and policy advocacy, and effective scientific
tools and resources for the food and beverage industry. He is in the forefront of
coordinating Listeria monocytogenes and enteric virus prevention and control
programs and policy efforts on behalf of the frozen food industry. He also leads the
industry’s initiatives in food waste reduction, decarbonizing the frozen supply chain and packaging recyclability. As executive director of the frozen food foundation, the research arm of the industry, he steers a portfolio of initiatives and projects in food safety, nutrition, and sustainability.
Prior to joining AFFI, Dr. Gummalla was the vice president of product development
at Zentis NA, a global fruit preparation manufacturer. His technical expertise
extends to flavor development, food microbiology, and product development
resulting from managing global food application projects at Givaudan Flavors and
leading the global dairy flavor research and development portfolio at Cargill.
Dr. Gummalla previously represented the industry as advisor, U.S. Agricultural
Trade Advisory Committee for Processed Foods; committee member, IAFP’s Journal
of Food Protection; president, Capital Area Food Protection Association; and chair,
International Food Science Certification Commission which administers IFT’s
Certified Food Scientists program.
On the food safety front, he is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual instructor and served as adjunct assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught food microbiology. Early in his career, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representing FDA’s foray in to nanotechnological applications for food safety. He holds a Ph.D. in Nutrition and Food Sciences from Utah State University.