Laura Grunenfelder Staff of the Northwest Horticultural Council on March 9, 2015 in Yakima, Washington. (TJ Mullinax/Good Fruit Grower)

Laura Grunenfelder

Laura Grunenfelder has accepted a new position as a consumer safety officer for the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, one of 40 such positions the agency is creating to educate farmers and packers and ensure compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act.

In the role, Grunenfelder will work on outreach, inspections and investigations related to the Produce Safety Rule for growers and packers in 13 Western states and two U.S. territories.

Grunenfelder joins the FDA from the Northwest Horticultural Council in Yakima, Washington, where she worked as a technical issues manager assisting the Pacific Northwest tree fruit industry on matters relating to agricultural chemicals, food safety, export market access and other technical policy issues.

Grunenfelder will remain in Yakima. She begins the new job April 3.