"The food and beverage industry itself is being locked out"

The trend that worries Melissa San Miguel of Red Flag is the profound shift away from innovation and competition toward overly-restrictive regulations

Melissa San Miguel who is Head of Policy and Vice President USA of Red Flag

What's your name?

Melissa San Miguel

What’s your current job?

Head of Policy and Vice President USA, Red Flag

How long have you held the position?

Since December 2017

Can you describe your daily work routine?

Always on the run! I’m in constant touch with Red Flag offices around the world, especially in Dublin, Brussels, and Singapore. I analyze the latest policy proposals and international recommendations impacting agriculture, food, and alcohol. I draw lessons for other industries and assess trends. In one day, I can go from briefing clients on the politics of the World Health Organization to crunching numbers on tax policy, tariff barriers, and more.

What is your professional background?

I went straight into a U.S. State Department fellowship after Princeton and then entered the Foreign Service after completing a master’s degree at UCLA. I served in U.S. embassies in Honduras, Jamaica, and Brazil, before coming back to Washington to work on U.S. economic and trade policy in Latin America and Asia. I joined the Grocery Manufacturers Association in 2014 and ran GMA’s Global Strategies division - helping our 300 food, beverage, and consumer product manufacturers navigate through the policy, regulatory, and trade issues impacting their businesses in the United States and around the world.

Tell me about yourself away from work?

I’m a political junkie, even away from work, and I’m raising a political junkie nine-year-old.

Tell us something very few people know about you?

I’m a terrible driver (anyone who drives near me already knows that).

You are speaking at the forthcoming National Food and Drink Industry Summit in Dublin. What is the focus of your talk?

I’ll focus on global policy recommendations, the activism that fuels and advances them, and the real consequences for food and beverage regulation in Ireland and around the globe.

In your opinion what are the main trends and disruptions having effect on the industry?

The trend that worries me most is the profound shift away from innovation and competition toward overly-restrictive regulations. On issues from nutrition to ingredient safety to animal health to extended producer responsibility, market-based paths are being locked out. The food and beverage industry itself is being locked out, in many cases.

What changes do you envisage for the food and drink sector over the next five years?

I think it’s going to be a tough five years as we continue to struggle with providing safe, affordable, diverse products and operating under the restrictions proliferating today. I often hear people talk about “meeting consumers where they are,” but in my opinion we have to do better. We have to forge new strategies to actively shape where consumers are going and stand up for keeping the road open that gets us there with them.

Melissa San Miguel will be appearing at The National Food & Drink Industry Summit. The agenda and further details for this important national event at Croke Park on June 12th, are available atwww.foodindustry.ie