Novazone, a leading provider of innovative ozone-based solutions to improve the freshness and safety of food and water, announced the appointment of Randy J. McLaughlin, Ph.D. as applications engineer. In his new position, McLaughlin is responsible for the development, testing and refinement of ozone-based cold storage, disinfection and sanitization solutions for fresh produce and processed food. Reporting to Patrick Whalen, Novazone's vice president of sales and field engineering, McLaughlin will be based in the Pacific Northwest.
As a former USDA plant pathologist with over 25 years of experience, McLaughlin brings a wealth of knowledge to Novazone. During his career, he performed multi-level microbiological analyses, quantified and identified decay causing pathogens in fruit and packing warehouses, performed chemical analyses for water treatment, researched biological control of post-harvest diseases in fruits and vegetables, and developed molecular and serological methods for the detection of the bacterium Erwinia amylovora.
“The time is now for companies like Novazone to address food safety and quality through the use of progressive technologies such as ozone,” McLaughlin said. “Novazone's focus on science-based applications and its dedication to food and water markets are a perfect fit for my background and interest in post-harvest solutions.”
"With Randy's knowledge and experience, he will be a tremendous asset to the company as our customers implement new processes,” said Paul White, president and CEO of Novazone, Inc. “More and more consumers and retailers alike are demanding safer and fresher food. Our focus is to provide pathogen-free food, extend shelf life of produce and reduce the use of chemicals used in food and water products, and Randy will help take us to the next level of growth.”
Prior to joining Novazone, McLaughlin was executive partner of Columbia Technical Associates, LLC, specializing in microbiological, chemical and statistical analyses for agriculture. Before Columbia Technical Associates, McLaughlin held a variety of development and research positions for the USDA, Rutgers University, University of Wisconsin and Texas A & M University. He holds a doctorate in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin, a master's in plant pathology from Texas A & M University and a bachelor's in plant and soil sciences from Texas A & M University.
Source: Novazone, Inc.
