Eric J. Hentges was the executive director of the

International Life Sciences Institute The International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is a global nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Washington, DC, United States that publishes peer-reviewed studies on nutrition and food safety. It was founded in 1978 by Alex Malaspin ...

, a non-profit international organization founded in 1978 to address food safety, nutrition, and toxicology issues from 2007 until 2018. He was born on December 15, 1952 in Gainesville, Florida to James and Lavaun Hentges. He is married to Susan Borra (July 7, 2007), and has two daughters from a previous marriage, Rachel and Margot. Prior to this appointment, he was executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is an agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, created on December 1, 1994, to improve the health and well-being of Americans by establishing national dietary guidelines based on the best s ...

(CNPP), where he directed the development and launch of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. The CNPP is best known for its involvement in the development of the Dietary Guidelines and

MyPyramid MyPyramid, released by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion on April 19, 2005, was an update on the earlier American food guide pyramid. It was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate replaced it. The icon stresses acti ...

for Americans and the Food Guidance System. Hentges joined

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

with over 20 years of experience in nutrition research and education. He has held positions with the

National Pork Board The National Pork Board is a program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service whose purpose is to provide consumer information, perform industry-related research, and promote pork as a food product. The ...

, the National Pork Producers Council, and the National Live Stock and Meat Board. He has a Ph.D. in Food Science from

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...

, an M.S. from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

and a B.S. from

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hentges, Eric 1952 births Iowa State University alumni Auburn University alumni Oklahoma State University alumni Living people