Revol Greens Appoints Frank Yiannas as Food Safety Advisor

AUSTIN, Texas — Revol Greens, a producer of sustainable, greenhouse-grown leafy greens, announced the appointment of Frank Yiannas as an advisor for food safety.

Yiannas, former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will serve as a food safety consultant for the company. Renowned for his pivotal role in designing and implementing groundbreaking initiatives such as the FDA's Fresh Leafy Greens Action Plan, Final Food Traceability Rule, Proposed Agricultural Water Standard and the New Era of Smarter Food Safety, Yiannas brings a wealth of experience to Revol Greens. With leadership roles at Walmart and the Walt Disney Company, he is also the author of "Food Safety Culture" and "Food Safety = Behavior."

In addition to Yiannas reviewing Revol Greens’ food safety processes, he will also advise the company on how to best design food safety into existing and future production facilities, engage in smart, fit-for-purpose agriculture policy and establish a high standard of care for the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry to follow.

"I'm delighted to be working with and lending my experience to the Revol Greens team, who has an unwavering commitment to food safety and consumer trust," Yiannas said. "Today's food system faces many headwinds, ranging from supply chain bottlenecks, labor shortages, climate change and available water, as well as continued food safety pressures. Success in this changing environment requires continued innovation in how we grow and produce safe and abundant food for this generation and the next."

Dinesh Babu, Ph.D., Revol Greens vice president of food safety and compliance, said, "Revol Greens is committed to providing consumers with high quality and safe products, so we are always looking for ways to elevate our processes. We are thrilled to have Frank, with his deep food safety expertise, engage with our dedicated greenhouse teams and support our efforts to progress policy and industry understanding."

The salad and lettuce category has faced significant disruptions in recent years due to climate events and food safety concerns. Revol Greens said it is dedicated to strengthening its assurance of supply by building upon best practices for handling of leafy greens in a processing environment, combined with some of the advantages that are inherent to growing in a controlled environment.