State food expert leads professional organizations


The Oklahoma Dept. of Agriculture, Food and Forestry announced that Bryan Buchwald has been selected to participate in “Cohort IV” of the Fellowship in Food Protection. 

Buchwald will represent Oklahoma in this elite group of state officials studying at the International Food Protection Institute (IFPTI) in Battle Creek, Michigan.

As part of the Fellowship Program, Fellows must carry out a research project on a current food safety or regulatory issue and describe the issue’s impact on the U.S. food safety system. IFPTI is soliciting research topic ideas from the food protection community. (Research ideas may be emailed to fellowship@ifpti.org.)

Buchwald directs the Poultry, Egg and Organic Section in the state agency’s Food Safety Division. He has held this position for over five years. His responsibilities include poultry and red meat grading in processing plants and supervising the work of eight inspectors. He also enforces the Shell Egg Law which licenses 90 small producers and 30 large egg packers. His section reviews the state’s organic producers and issues over 100 certificates for crops, tree nuts, hay, livestock and other products.

Buchwald is currently president of the Mid-Continental Association of Food and Drug Officials and will host the MCAFDO Educational Conference in Oklahoma City during spring 2015. MCAFDO is comprised of members from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. 

The association is made up of individuals engaged in official food, drug, cosmetic, device and environmental health control. They receive technical training programs from MCAFDO and are eligible for participation in committees and policy-making boards.

Buchwald also serves as president of the National Egg Regulatory Officials. The organization’s mission is to regulate and support the egg industry in a manner that encourages uniformity while promoting food safety and quality assurance. 

Members are state department of agriculture officials involved in shell egg and egg products regulations and programs. The group promotes uniform standards for quality, safety, labeling and handling of eggs to ensure a safe, fresh and truthfully-marketed egg supply.

Stan Stromberg, director of the agency’s Food Safety Division and Buchwald’s supervisor, says, “It reflects very well on our agency to have respected individuals like Bryan who are willing to serve in leadership roles for these professional organizations.”

Buchwald has worked at ODAFF for more than 14 years. He graduated from Cameron University with a degree in Animal Science and a minor in Chemistry. His youth was spent on a farm in Faxon that produced wheat and cattle. Buchwald is married and has two sons, Brayden and Beau.