Ken Stevenson, Ph.D., made his reputation by making sure that almonds are safe to eat. For his important work and lasting impact, Stevenson was the first-ever recipient of the Almond Technical Achievement Award, which recognizes an industry or allied industry member who has added significant value to the California almond industry through research, innovation or facilitated adoption of practices for the betterment of the industry.
Stevenson was recognized for his key role in establishing hundreds of processes that make almonds safer to eat. As the chairman of the Almond Board’s Technical Expert Review Panel (TERP) for the past 17 years, he has been at the forefront of the industry’s commitment to food safety. TERP is a third-party panel made up of experts in thermal processing, process validation, food safety and microbiology.
“He was instrumental in setting research priorities to identify risks associated with almonds and appropriate ways to control them,” said Tim Birmingham, director of industry services for the Almond Board. “He has led the TERP panel in ongoing program refinement and validation of more than 300 processes used on almonds.”
Stevenson is a food scientist and leader in the field of microbial food safety who worked for the National Food Processors Association, based in Dublin, Calif. In 2001, after the first of two Salmonella scares associated with people eating raw almonds, he was asked by the Almond Board to help identify ways via pasteurization and other methods to ensure the safety of almonds.
In 2004, after another Salmonella outbreak affected 29 people in 12 states, TERP was formed, with Stevenson as its first and only chairman until his retirement in December.
“The group consisted of four to five consultants who would work independently on sound science,” said Guangwei Huang, the Almond Board’s associate director of food research and technology. He was instrumental in recruiting Stevenson to TERP.
