OUR PEOPLE
Academic Credentials
- M.S., Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 2019
- B.S., Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ, 2013
Licenses & Certifications
- Certified Food Scientist (CFS)
- Certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS)
Professional Affiliations
- International Association for Food Protection
- National Environmental Health Association
Ms. Taryn Horr is a Managing Scientist in Ä¢¹½tv's Health Sciences Center for Chemical Regulation and Food Safety. She has a strong background in food science and engineering and is certified in Comprehensive Food Safety (CCFS) through the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA).
Ms. Horr specializes in the evaluation and control of hazards and health risks in foods, beverages, cosmetics, dietary supplements and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Her client base includes industry, trade associations, insurance companies and law firms. She regularly consults in the development, assessment and improvement of quality and safety programs and often is sought out to advise on the response to safety and quality issues. She has conducted safety assessments on farms and at food, dietary supplement and cosmetic manufacturing and distribution establishments and performed root cause assessments for contamination events and product failures in processing, distribution, and retail facilities, both domestically and internationally. She has also evaluated food borne illness investigations performed by federal, state and local agencies.
Ms. Horr routinely assesses production and packaging facilities for compliance to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulations, including Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), as well as for best industry practices including those defined in Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards. She is a certified Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI). She has previously assisted cosmetic companies in compliance with FDA GMP guidelines and is actively tracking the development of FDA's Modernization of Cosmetics Regulations Act (MoCRA) to continue to support the cosmetic industry in adherence to best industry practices and future GMP regulations to ensure the safe production of cosmetics. She has used her depth in knowledge of manufacturing and expertise in GMPs to assist companies and investment bankers seeking acquisitions in performing due diligence assessments.
Ms. Horr uses her data analysis and research skills to assist clients in a wide variety of topics that span from contaminants and additives as well as emerging public health, nutrition, and regulatory issues. She has additionally performed qualitative and quantitative safety evaluations of foods and hazards across the supply chain as well as individual processing operations using software tools to conduct hazard analyses and risk assessments.
Prior to joining Ä¢¹½tv, Ms. Horr worked in the food industry as a production supervisor at the largest frozen and par baked bakery in the United States. She managed the production of a variety of private label and general frozen bread products. Her duties included managing production shifts, ensuring product quality, enforcing GMPs, reviewing and verifying production documentation and performing root cause analyses for food safety and quality issues.
Ms. Horr received a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2013), where she currently sits on the departmental Advisory Board, and an M.S. in Food Science, from University of Maryland (2019). During her undergraduate education she worked collaboratively as a team member in the design of a peanut processing facility outside of Kampala, Uganda. The design included equipment suggestions, building layout and the design of a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan. For her M.S. she utilized @Risk, predictive microbiology and quantitative microbial risk assessments to complete a thesis on the public health implications of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in U.S. grown cilantro. She has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and is an Engineer in Training (E.I.T).
