UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Catherine Nettles Cutter, Penn State Extension assistant director for food safety and quality programs, received the prestigious Fellow Award from the International Association for Food Protection in recognition of her exceptional contributions to food safety.
The award honors professionals who have made distinguished contributions to the association and its affiliates over an extended period. As a nonprofit organization, the association is focused on advancing food safety worldwide by providing a forum for food safety professionals to exchange information on protecting the food supply. Cutter will receive the award, which includes a plaque, at the association’s annual meeting in July.
“This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor based on her commitment and documented success in extension, teaching and research focused on food safety,” said Robert F. Roberts, head of the Penn State Department of Food Science.
Along with her extension responsibilities, Cutter is a professor of food science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. She has developed and taught several graduate- and undergraduate-level courses in food science and food safety.
As a co-author of more than 80 abstracts and more than 150 publications, Cutter’s research is focused on a range of important food safety issues. She investigates the prevalence and incidence of pathogens in foods, validates methodologies and assays for the sampling and detection of foodborne pathogens, and works to develop effective control measures and interventions to reduce pathogens in foods.
In addition to her research, Cutter leads Penn State’s International Food Safety Initiative, which is aimed at improving food safety practices among food handlers in Armenia, Ukraine, Latin America and Africa.
Cutter has mentored a considerable number of students, including six postdoctoral researchers and 23 graduate students.
“A critical aspect of my work is training the next generation of food safety professionals, including graduate students and extension educators,” Cutter said. “Building them into leaders is essential to keep the momentum going in this field. We are already seeing changes in the food safety culture, but we have a long way to go. We must adapt, change and improve upon what we do to reduce foodborne illness and risk.”
In her role as a food safety extension specialist, Cutter has organized and delivered food safety workshops and short courses for industry professionals. As the leader of food safety and quality extension programs, Cutter supervises more than 20 extension educators who are responsible for the implementation of food safety programming throughout Pennsylvania.
Cutter earned her doctoral degree from Clemson University and began her career at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska. She was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and served two terms on the National Advisory Committee for Meat and Poultry Inspection under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Since 1987, Cutter has participated in several professional development groups as a member of the International Association for Food Protection. She served as an editorial board member for the Journal of Food Protection and has held the position of scientific editor for Food Protection Trends since 2013.
“For more than 35 years, since I was a graduate student, I’ve been motivated to do what I do because it makes a difference,” Cutter said. “Our work in Extension helps businesses navigate regulatory issues, pinpoint problems, improve food safety to keep people from getting sick, and maintain a viable food supply. This approach is critical for national and international food security, and it’s what motivates us to keep improving. To me, it’s a reason to get up in the morning — to ensure a safe food supply and to keep people healthy.”