By Esther Haviland
Colleen Nyland, a May 2021 graduate of the Michigan State University Master of Science in Food Safety (MSFS) Program, is the 2021 recipient of the Edward & Mary Mather Outstanding Food Safety Student Award (Mather Award).
She has more than 30 years of experience in food and hospitality. Her career highlights include teaching and consulting projects with Foodservice Safe, LLC., strategic marketing roles with Tyson Foods, serving as marketing director of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, and leading workforce development and food safety programs as director of the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.
Nyland is currently working with the Kane County Health Department in Aurora, Illinois, as a licensed environmental health practitioner. Some of her responsibilities include inspecting food establishments within the county and reviewing and evaluating hazard analysis and critical control points plans for complex preparation processes for retail operations. Along with her environmental health role, she also is an adjunct faculty member with the Elgin Community College in Elgin, Illinois.
The Mather Award recognizes students who have excelled in designing and implementing an applied food safety project. This final project is a required component of MSU’s MSFS degree.
“The MSFS Program has provided a tremendous opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally,” says Nyland. “I am especially honored to receive the 2021 Mather Award, as the applied project challenged me in new ways, given my prior degrees were in business disciplines.”
Nyland’s applied project is titled Regulating for Safety: Cannabidiol Dose in Food. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound found in cannabis plants that may impact an individual’s experience with certain types of health conditions, such as seizures, pain, or anxiety. She searched scientific literature to evaluate what is known about safe doses of CBD in food applications and determine what information is still needed to inform a standard or regulated limit. Her findings determined limited and incomplete information exists about safe quantities of CBD in food. She also found that CBD’s ties to cannabis plants with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive compound, have restricted research opportunities. Further, jurisdictions that have legalized CBD in food have inconsistent policies, and few safeguards exist to protect consumers from potential risks.
In addition to being granted the Mather Award, Nyland’s applied project was published in the September 2022 issue of the Journal of Food Protection.
“The market for CBD in food is growing, and it is a hot topic for regulators. I am excited for my research to be published in the Journal of Food Protection, and I hope it will add value to the conversation about this issue.” 