CRN appoints USP, FDA veteran to VP scientific and international affairs

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Monday announced Jim Griffiths has been named as the association’s VP scientific and international affairs, effective Oct. 10.

“We are very pleased to be able to add someone of Dr. Griffiths’ stature to what is already arguably the strongest scientific team representing the industry," stated Steve Mister, CRN president and CEO. "He will bring to CRN a renewed and collaborative focus on international affairs, and we expect his expertise will positively affect regulatory and nutrition policy globally." 

For the past five years, Griffiths worked with the United States Pharmacopoeia, where he managed various food and dietary supplement strategic initiatives, including those related to global food and dietary supplement alliances. In his role at USP, he handled excipient standards for dietary supplements, food ingredients and pharmaceuticals, and was responsible for oversight of the organization’s Food Chemicals Codex, the Dietary Supplement Compendium and the National Formulary.

With 25 years of experience in food safety and regulatory affairs, he began his career as a regulatory review toxicologist at the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. His experience also includes scientific/regulatory positions at the Flavor & Extract Manufacturers’ Association, International Specialty Products, Avon Products and Burdock and Associates.   

Griffiths holds a Ph.D. in toxicology from Rutgers University & Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. He is currently serving a two-year term as president for both the Toxicology and Safety Division, Institute of Food Technologists and the Society of Toxicology’s Food Safety Specialty Section. In 2012, he was honored with IFT’s Bernard L. Oser Award for Food Safety. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Excipients and Food Chemicals, and publishes extensively in scientific journals.  

CRN’s science and regulatory team includes Duffy MacKay, VP scientific and regulatory affairs; Taylor Wallace, senior director of scientific and regulatory affairs; Rend Al-Mondhiry, regulatory counsel; Haiuyen Nguyen, senior manager of scientific research and regulatory affairs; and consultants Annette Dickinson and John Hathcock.