title: Lessons learned.
abstract: The paper discusses my early years, education, and life experiences, including aspects of my career at McCormick & Co., Inc. A major intensive effort, one that greatly influenced my career, was helping the flavor industry cope with the passage of the Food Additives Amendment to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It resulted in a program now in its 51st year that is unique in the food industry. Other activities took me further into the fields of toxicology, structure/activity relationships, food safety, nutrition, and biotechnology. The paper closes with some observations on current challenges, and the steps that, in my opinion, we must take to meet them.
authors.affiliation: rl.hall@verizon.net
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000639:trends; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D059022:Food Safety; D005524:Food Technology / Q000266:history* / Q000639:trends; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007881:Legislation, Food; D017365:Spices / Q000032:analysis; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D005421:Flavoring Agents; D005503:Food Additives