Merck Animal Health today announced the addition of Jessica Lynn Meisinger, Ph.D., to the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team. Meisinger will serve as a consumer affairs account manager, focusing her efforts on developing partnerships with key stakeholders in the food and companion animal marketplace.

Merck Animal Health created the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team to serve its companion animal and food production animal industry partners — listening to their needs and sharing information, research and insights to enable more informed decisions in a changing marketplace.

“We know most of us in the U.S. are generations removed from the farm, yet want to know more about how our food is grown and raised,” says Judson Vasconcelos, DVM, Ph.D., head of the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team for North America. “All of us expect food choices that are safe, healthy and we can feel good about. Jessica’s experience will be a great asset to our team as we seek to foster a dialogue throughout the food chain to answer consumer questions, and provide information about how food gets from the farm to the table.”

Meisinger received her master’s degree in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a doctorate in Meat Science from Colorado State University. Over the last six years, she has worked as director of Science, Communication, and Education for both the National Renderers Association and the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation in Alexandria, Va. Meisinger has done extensive work with sustainability in the meat industry and animal agriculture. She also has a strong background in the pet food and pet products industry.

“I’m looking forward to playing an active role in communicating with industry and consumer groups throughout the food chain, addressing questions about modern agricultural practices, and, at the same time, sharing consumer insights with producers. We have so many great stories to tell,” Meisinger says.

Merck Animal Health is committed to helping deliver a safe, affordable and sustainable food supply to meet the world’s growing demand for animal protein, and the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team is leading that effort. “Advancing Animal Welfare Together,” a first of its kind symposium held last fall, brought 35 leading animal welfare experts together with subject matter experts from agriculture, food processing/packing and retail to explore ways to work together. Additionally, Merck Animal Health has created education modules that cover practices in animal agriculture to transparently answer consumer questions about animal welfare, food safety and sustainability.

For more information about the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team, email [email protected].

Source: Merck Animal Health