Dr. Zhinong Yan, Executive Director, Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center; Food Microbiologist and Food Safety Expert; Vice Chair, the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) China Steering Committee; Expert Advisor, Food Safety Committee of the China Chain-Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) and China Children’s Food Safety Program of CCTF.
     Dr. Zhinong Yan is the Executive Director of the Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center (WFSCC). He leads a team that promotes the development of food safety in China through stakeholder collaboration in the three areas of food safety innovation, education and policy support.
     Dr. Yan has over 30 years of academic and industry experience in microbiology and food safety. His experience spans the entire food supply chain from farm to table. His expertise includes analysis and overall solution against the occurrence, contamination, traceability and control of foodborne risk factors during the stages of production, processing, retail and catering for grain, meat, fruits, vegetables, and snack foods; Dr. Yan has extensive experience in microbiological inspections, analysis, monitoring and control of food processing equipment during production and in the business environment; recent work focuses on the application of innovative technologies to improve food safety, promote food safety education, and research and exchange of policies and regulations. He has published over 30 research papers and book chapters.
     Dr. Yan was previous the Asia-Pacific Food Safety Director for Ecolab. Prior to this he also worked at a food processing equipment firm and a food safety consultancy. He has provided food safety services for over 150 food processing plants in more than 20 countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. He has designed and conducted over 200 training sessions on enterprise food hygiene and safety.
     Dr. Yan received his BSc. and MSc. in plant pathology from China Agricultural University in 1988 and 1994 respectively, and his PhD from Auburn University in 2000. He completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia, and Michigan State University where he also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. He was formerly the Vice Chair of the International Association on Food Protection’s (IAFP) Food Hygiene and Sanitation Professional Development Group, as well as the founder and two-time Chairman of the North American Chinese Association for Food Protection. Dr. Yan is currently Vice Chair of the Global Food Safety Initiative’s (GFSI) China Steering Committee, Chairperson for AFP China, Vice President of China Animal Health and Food Safety Alliance, and Expert Advisor of Food Safety Committee of the China Chain-Store & Franchise Association (CCFA) and China Children Food Safety Program of China Children and Teenage Foundation(CCTF).