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 Malaspi ...

, 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 a program area of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), originally created in 1994 and merged into FNS beginning in 2017, to improve the health and well-being of Americans by establis ...

(CNPP), where he directed the development and launch of the 2005

Dietary Guidelines A healthy diet is a Diet (nutrition), diet that maintains or improves overall health. A healthy diet provides the body with essential Human nutrition, nutrition: fluid, macronutrients such as protein, micronutrients such as vitamins, and adequat ...

. The CNPP is best known for its involvement in the development of the

and

MyPyramid MyPyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture, 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 MyPla ...

for Americans and the Food Guidance System. Hentges joined

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

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. Th ...

, 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 university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

, an M.S. from

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 26,800 undergraduate students, over 6,100 post-graduate students, and a tota ...

and a B.S. from

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

References

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