Merck Animal Health Adds Consumer Affairs Expert to Veterinary and Consumer Affairs Team
Jessica Lynn Meisinger, Ph.D., Brings Depth of Agricultural and Pet Products Knowledge
MADISON, N.J., May 2, 2018 – Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) today announced the addition of Jessica Lynn Meisinger, Ph.D., to the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team. Meisinger will serve as a consumer affairs account manager, focusing her efforts on developing partnerships with key stakeholders in the food and companion animal marketplace.
Merck Animal Health created the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team to serve its companion animal and food production animal industry partners – listening to their needs and sharing information, research and insights to enable more informed decisions in a changing marketplace.
“We know most of us in the U.S. are generations removed from the farm, yet want to know more about how our food is grown and raised,” said Judson Vasconcelos, DVM, Ph.D., head of the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team for North America. “All of us expect food choices that are safe, healthy and we can feel good about. Jessica’s experience will be a great asset to our team as we seek to foster a dialogue throughout the food chain to answer consumer questions, and provide information about how food gets from the farm to the table.”
Meisinger received her master’s degree in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and a doctorate in Meat Science from Colorado State University. Over the last six years, she has worked as Director of Science, Communication, and Education for both the National Renderers Association and the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation in Alexandria, VA. Meisinger has done extensive work with sustainability in the meat industry and animal agriculture. She also has a strong background in the pet food and pet products industry.
“I’m looking forward to playing an active role in communicating with industry and consumer groups throughout the food chain, addressing questions about modern agricultural practices, and, at the same time, sharing consumer insights with producers. We have so many great stories to tell,” said Meisinger.
Merck Animal health is committed to helping deliver a safe, affordable and sustainable food supply to meet the world’s growing demand for animal protein, and the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team is leading that effort. “Advancing Animal Welfare Together,” a first of its kind symposium held last fall, brought 35 leading animal welfare experts together with subject matter experts from agriculture, food processing/packing and retail to explore ways to work together. Additionally, Merck Animal Health has created education modules that cover practices in animal agriculture to transparently answer consumer questions about animal welfare, food safety and sustainability.
For more information about the Veterinary and Consumer Affairs team please e-mail mahinfo@merck.com.
About Merck Animal Health
For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada, is the global animal health business unit of Merck. Through its commitment to the Science of Healthier Animals™, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, pet owners and governments one of the widest range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, wellbeing and performance of animals. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com or connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter at @MerckAH.