By Zara Hopkins

Gretchen L. Wall, M.S., is a graduate of the CSU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and serves as the Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator & Northeast Regional Extension Associate.

Since 2011, Wall has been the coordinator for the Produce Safety Alliance and supports the PSA team by organizing the development process of the PSA’s curriculum materials and training programs, facilitating national collaboration between Land Grant institutions and educators, produce trade associations, grower organizations, and regulatory officials, and by providing technical assistance to produce growers and the produce industry at large. Wall is also an active member of the National Good Agricultural Practices Program team and assists in workshop development, delivery, and outreach efforts for on-farm food safety to fruit and vegetable farmers in New York as well as in the Northeast in association with the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety.

Previously, Wall assisted in developing educational materials and outreach efforts to help guide Colorado produce growers in the implementation of farm food safety programs in preparation for buyer driven third party audits. Beyond produce safety, she has a diverse background in food science and food systems, including trouble-shooting supply chain distribution food quality and safety issues, food product development and sensory science, and food microbiology.

Wall received her Master of Science in the Interdisciplinary Food Science/Food Safety Program at Colorado State University and her Bachelor of Science in food science from Pennsylvania State University.