Erdogan Ceylan, PhD

Title

Research Director

Company

Mérieux NutriSciences

John Szpylka, PhD

Title

Scientific Affairs Director

Company

Mérieux NutriSciences

Chemical and microbiological risk assessment of pet food ingredients under abused conditions – Erdogan Ceylan, PhD, research director, and John Szpylka, PhD, scientific affairs director, for Mérieux NutriSciences, discuss the increasing risks to ingredients as they are sourced more globally in a world experiencing climate weather changes and extremes. The risks, both microbiological and chemical, can be found throughout the food system, especially when the ingredients are under abusive conditions of heat, moisture and contact, which create high risk from microorganisms. Understanding the risks and how to monitor them is needed to establish a safe ingredient supply.

Ceylan received his master of science and doctorate in food microbiology from Kansas State University. In his role at Mérieux NutriSciences, he is responsible for managing the research program and specializes in shelf life, challenge and process validation studies, isolation, detection, identification and control of foodborne pathogens in raw ingredients and finished products. Ceylan possesses an extensive background in food processing, food safety and microbiological detection methods, and consults with the food industry on HACCP, sanitation, process validation and application of thermal and non-thermal intervention technologies. He is a member of several professional societies and has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and magazines.

Szpylka is the scientific affairs director, chemistry NA, with Mérieux and serves as a representative to key scientific organizations and regulatory agencies to identify and contribute to food testing standardization for nutritional needs and arising issues. He is actively involved in organizations including AOACI (Fellow), AACCI, AOCS, AAFCO, ACIL (Board of Directors), and DSQAP. Before joining Mérieux, Szpylka was a principal scientist with General Mills/Medallion Laboratories. He received his doctorate in analytical chemistry from Ohio State University after receiving a bachelor of science in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Szpylka has presented numerous papers on applying scientific practices to comply with label claims and regulatory regulations, and on advancing scientific methods to meet new challenges.