Melissa Sacco, MPH, RYT

Melissa Sacco, MPH, RYT has a diverse and extensive work experience in the food industry. Melissa is currently working at Smallhold as the Director of Food Safety & Compliance. Prior to this, they worked at Chef Sacco as a Personal Chef, Culinary Educator, and Nutrition and Food Safety Consultant. In this role, they specialized in menu planning, recipe development, meal preparation, and nutritional analysis, as well as providing private cooking lessons and group dining services. Melissa also worked on developing SOPs and policies in accordance with HACCP, SQF, and GFSI standards.

Before Chef Sacco, Melissa worked at Cozymeal, Inc. as a Personal Chef and Culinary Instructor, where they provided personalized chef services and taught culinary classes. Melissa also gained experience at Plenty as a QA Program Manager and Senior Operations Manager. At Plenty, they focused on growing clean, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables and ensuring the highest quality and nutrition.

Melissa worked as the Director of the Food & Nutrition Department at EvergreenHealth, where they aimed to improve patient safety and quality care. Melissa also held management positions at FreshDirect, overseeing bakery, pastry, and catering operations, and at New York Presbyterian Hospital, managing a large team and implementing process flow efficiencies.

Melissa'searly career included working as an Amenities Chef at Sky Ridge Medical Center, where they managed kitchen production operations and ensured compliance with food safety and quality standards.

Overall, Melissa Sacco, MPH, RYT has demonstrated expertise in food safety, compliance, menu planning, recipe development, nutrition analysis, and managing operations in various culinary settings.

Melissa Sacco, MPH, RYT has a strong education background in the field of health policy and management. Melissa obtained their Masters of Public Health (MPH) degree from Hunter College between 2013 and 2015. Prior to that, they earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University in 2008. Melissa'seducation journey began at The Culinary Institute of America, where they completed a Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree in Management from 1999 to 2002.

In addition to their formal education, Melissa Sacco has also pursued various certifications to enhance their professional skills. These certifications include HACCP Manager from the National Environmental Health Association (obtained in August 2022), NSF Retail Auditor from NSF International (obtained in May 2021), COVID-19 Contact Tracing from Coursera - Johns Hopkins University (obtained in August 2020), Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) from Yoga Alliance (obtained in March 2020), PCQI Certified from the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) (obtained in May 2018), and Certified ServSafe Manager, Instructor & Proctor from ServSafe in 2017.

Melissa Sacco also holds additional certifications such as CBORD FSS Certification and CBORD NSS Certification from CBORD in 2010, and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED Certified from the American Heart Association (obtained in March 2022).