Team

Stephen H. Spinak is an aseptic processing and packaging expert, a thermal process engineer and international consultant.He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. From 1974 to 1976, he served as a thermal processing engineer with the National Canners Association (now known as the Grocery Manufacturers Association).   He worked as food technologist with FDA’s Division of Food Technology from 1977 to 1980, and with the USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service from 1980 to 1991. At USDA, Stephen served as the National Field Coordinator for its HACCP development project.  He worked for the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition for 15 years (1991 – 2006), as project manager for FDA’s International Cannery Inspection Program and for Filing and Evaluation of Thermal Processes for Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods (LACF). He participated as an Official of the U.S. Delegation to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene for 17 years and he was chairman of the Codex Aseptic Processing and Packaging Work Group.  He was the primary developer of the USDA FSIS’s Canning Training program in the ‘80s and the USDA FSIS’s LACF Train the Trainer Program in 2008. He participated in the development of FDA’s Basic Canning Course, Advanced Canning Course and Aseptic Processing and Packaging Course during his time with FDA.  He also developed several LACF capacity building projects for FDA in South America.  In 2006, after retiring from FDA, Stephen started Spinak Consulting LLC, a highly recognized process authority in the field of aseptic and in-container thermal processing. He assists plants located worldwide and importers with thermal process projects and FDA filings.