Agri-food safety policies and regulations

Georgina Felix

Director of Operations and International Affairs for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA), with more than 18 years of experience in the organization.

She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Celaya and a Master’s degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Arizona.

Previously, she worked in the Agricultural Marketing Support and Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, in the Coordination of Trade Promotion and Export Development.

Luis Ignacio Sánchez

Engineer with a degree from the Faculty of Science of the UNAM and a diploma in Verification and Sanitary Control from the Faculty of Chemistry of the UNAM.

Member of COFEPRIS since 2001 with more than 20 years of experience in food safety.

Technical director of the Mexican Bivalve Mollusc Health Program (2010-2020) and FDA standardized official since 2008.

Specialist in bivalve molluscs, fisheries and fresh produce.

Participates in the creation of courses on Good Agricultural and Packaging Practices since 2002 in collaboration with the FDA and SENASICA.

Active member of the Food Safety Alliance Working Group since 2016.

Noemí Zuñiga

Food engineer with more than 20 years of experience in product development and agro-industrial process improvement in Chile and Latin America.

Senior Food Safety Consultant at IICA, managing agreements between FDA and IICA in Latin America and the Caribbean.

USDA FAS Instructor for Processed and Fresh Produce in Central America and the Caribbean.

Specialist in food export regulations to the USA with 8 years experience.

Former manager of the Agroindustrial Technology Extension Center in Chile, working with more than 300 companies.

Mauricio Castelo

Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with over 20 years of experience in the food industry, from farming to produce processing.

Member of the FDA Fresh Produce Safety Expert Network, participating in the creation and updating of the Fresh Produce Safety Standard and the development of guidance and educational initiatives for the industry.

Qualified trainer in the Fresh Produce Safety Standard and the Preventive Controls of Human Food Regulation, with experience in audits and training in Mexico and the United States.

Previously worked as a food safety consultant for the produce industry in Mexico and the U.S., with clients in regions such as Baja California, Sonora, Sinaloa, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Jalisco and Veracruz.

Expert in FDA and USDA regulations, HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and microbiological testing.

Jesús Reyes Ramírez

Agricultural Engineer and Master in Agricultural Sciences from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, distinguished with the University Medal of Merit.

He completed a postgraduate internship at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. Professional in Contamination Risk Reduction Systems, authorized by SENASICA to provide technical assistance and training to producers.

He is currently part of the Directorate of Agri-Food Safety and Organic Control at SENASICA.

Head of the Department of Certification, Verification, Inspection, Authorization and Approval in Agricultural Safety.