Jody Villecco

Principal Quality Standards Advisor, Global Quality Standards Team @Whole Foods Market

Austin, TX, US

Whole Foods Market\'s industry-leading Quality Standards are internal buying standards that are applied to all products for sale at Whole Foods Market (WFM).• Created, coordinated and evolved WFM’s Quality Standards for foods, dietary supplements, personal care and household cleaning products. • Lead WFM’s chemicals policies for packaging, body care, housewares and household cleaning products, with a focus on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), integrating chemical safety with corporate sustainability goals.• Provided research and recommendations that informed higher level decisions and strategy for foods, body care, supplements, household cleaning and packaging.• Conducted ongoing surveillance of emerging and high-profile technical matters for business partners and leadership. • Investigated novel ingredients and food technologies, including cultured meat, precision fermentation-derived ingredients, mycoprotein and more to determine acceptability to WFM\'s Quality Standards.• Mentored and guided the research of junior members of the team, providing input about framework and strategy regarding the ingredient review process. • Educated and trained team members on WFM\'s Quality Standards, with an emphasis on their historical context and philosophical basis.

Cornell University

Bachelor of Science (BS), Nutrition Sciences