Great Lakes Cheese Leader Receives IDFA’s 2024 Food Safety Leadership Award

PHOENIX — Rob Shumaker of Great Lakes Cheese received the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) 2024 Food Safety Leadership Award during IDFA’s Dairy Forum on Jan. 23. The award, now in its eighth year, honors an individual, group or organization for demonstrating outstanding leadership directed at enhancing food safety within the dairy products industry.

Shumaker has worked with IDFA’s Food Safety Committee and the University of Wisconsin to determine various food safety and risk factors in cheese production. Dr. Kathy Glass with the University of Wisconsin’s Food Research Institute wrote in her letter of support for Shumaker’s nomination: “Rob is a guardian of food safety for Great Lakes Cheese and for the dairy industry.”

Edward Learoyd, vice president safety, food safety, quality and regulatory, Great Lakes Cheese, said, “To galvanize industry, academia and regulators around a common agenda requires significant work, creativity and solutions with benefits for all. We are so proud of Rob’s contribution. His relationships in the food and beverage industry are a testament to his work.”

Added John Allan, IDFA vice president of regulatory affairs and international standards, “Rob’s work with IDFA’s Food Safety Committee and the University of Wisconsin to determine various food safety and risk factors in cheese production will refine which cheeses are subject to the federal government’s stringent food traceability requirements, benefitting both the dairy industry and public health. We recognize Rob as well as the food safety team at Great Lakes Cheese for their continued leadership to protect public health.”

Shumaker’s work to critically evaluate risks associated with individual cheese varieties will help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) refine which cheeses should be subject to FDA’s stringent food regulations, including traceability requirements to focus efforts on higher-risk cheeses rather than those that are intrinsically safe.

“This award is a testament to the unwavering commitment the industry and IDFA have made to ensuring the safety and quality of dairy products,” said Shumaker. “I am deeply appreciative of the guidance and mentorship from industry partners, academia and the management team and Epprecht family at Great Lakes Cheese. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of excellence and look forward to advancing food safety initiatives in the industry, supported by the collective efforts of our partners and colleagues."

Previous recipients of the award are Schreiber Foods, Inc. (2023); Jeremy Travis, vice president of quality & technical services for Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. (2022), Dairy Farmers of America (2021), Edith Wilkin, staff vice president and fellow, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance, for Leprino Foods (2020); The Ice Cream Club, Inc. (2019); Brian Kraus, director of food safety and regulatory compliance, Wells Enterprises, Inc. (2018); and the Cornell University Dairy Foods Extension team (2017).

A call for nominations for the 2025 Food Safety Leadership Award will be released this summer. More information about the award can be found here.