Meet Phillip L. Minerich, Vice President of Research and Development of Hormel Foods
Education: A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Minerich earned a Bachelor of Science degree in food technology at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. He earned his master's and doctorate degrees in food science at the University of Minnesota.
Professional: Throughout his 36-year career with Hormel Foods, Minerich has developed expertise in food science and technology, packaging and application of food safety intervention technologies and systems. He joined Hormel Foods in the quality control department at the Austin (Minn.) Plant in 1976. After holding various supervisory positions at the Austin Plant and Davenport (Iowa) Plant, Minerich was named corporate manager of sanitation at the corporate office (Austin, Minn.) in 1983.
In 1988, Minerich joined the R&D division at Hormel Foods as a food technologist and advanced to senior food technologist three years later. In 1996, he was promoted to research scientist of packaging and advanced to “development leader of new inventions” in 2002. He was promoted to director of research in 2003 and was responsible for product and process development and packaging. He was appointed to his current position in 2006.
Industry involvement: Minerich is a member of the board of advisors for: the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia; Minnesota Food Safety and Defense Task Force; Executive Advisory Board for the Institute for Food Safety and Health; Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Councils for the Grocery Manufacturers Association; and Non-thermal Processing Division of the Institute of Food Technologists. He also is an industry representative for the University of Minnesota Food Science and Nutrition Advisory Council and the National Center for Food Protection and Defense.
Awards / other: Minerich has been awarded three patents for development of a pressure indicator for high hydrostatic pressure processing of foods, packaging methods and products, and a container for active microwave heating. In 2009, NSF International recognized him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Packaging and Distribution and in 2013, was awarded the Siehl Prize for Excellence in Agriculture by the University of Minnesota.