Demystifying Food Labels — What Do They Really Mean?

Laurie J. Beyranevand

Laurie received a BA from Rutgers College in 1999 and a JD from Vermont Law School in 2003. Prior to joining the faculty at Vermont Law and Graduate School, Laurie was a Staff Attorney at Vermont Legal Aid where she represented adults and children in individual cases and class action litigation advocating for access to health care, education equality, and civil rights.

Laurie has published a number of scholarly articles and book chapters that focus on the connections between human health and the food system.

She is a founding member of the Academy of Food Law and Policy and has previously served as the chair of the Agriculture and Food Law Section of the American Association of Law Schools and on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Food and Drug Law Journal. Laurie is admitted to the New York and Vermont State Bars, as well as the U.S. District Court, District of Vermont.

As a first generation American with Iranian and Appalachian roots, diverse food and culture have always been prominent in Laurie’s life, symbolizing the transformational power of food in bringing people together.

Director of the Center for Agriculture and FoodSystems and the Pescosolido Professor of Food and Agricultural Law and Policyat Vermont Law and Graduate School

Kathleen Ho was reappointed Deputy Director for Environmental Health by Governor Josh Green, M.D. in December 2022, after initially serving under Governor David Y. Ige. Kathleen previously worked in the Department of the Attorney General as the Health Division’s Deputy Attorney General where she advised the Food and Drug and the Food Safety Branches. She has extensive experience in environmental law. Kathleen has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her career includes service as Deputy Corporation Counsel for the City and County of Honolulu, work in private practice in Honolulu, and advising the Office of Environmental Quality Control and the Environmental Council. She earned her J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, an LL.M. in Environmental Law from Lewis and Clark Law School in Oregon, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of San Francisco.

Deputy Director for Environmental Health, Hawaii State Department of Health

Kathleen Ho

Derek Kurisu is Executive Vice President of KTA Super Stores, where he has dedicated nearly five decades to Hawaiʻi’s grocery and food industry. Beginning as a part-time courtesy clerk, he worked his way through numerous positions — including stock clerk, meat cutter, buyer, and vice president of purchasing — before assuming his current leadership role as Executive Vice President of PerishableOperation. His career reflects a lifelong commitment to supporting local agriculture, strengthening Hawaiʻi’s economy, and connecting consumers with locally produced goods.

Among Derek’s most significant accomplishments is the creation of MountainApple Brand, a KTA private-label program featuring more than 225 locally grown or manufactured products developed in partnership with dozens of Hawaiʻi businesses. Launched during the decline of Hawaiʻi Island’s sugar industry, the brand helped expand opportunities for local farmers, food producers, and value-added manufacturers while advancing the statewide “buy local” movement.He also spearheaded the development of KTA’s 1916 private label products that are grown or manufactured outside of Hawaiʻi. It was created in 2014 to help kick-off KTA’s centennial celebration in 2016.

Beyond his work in the grocery industry, Kurisu is a dedicated community advocate and storyteller. He created and produced the television programs People in Paradise and Seniors Living in Paradise, launched KTA’s Man and the Pan cooking series on Instagram, co-authored several cookbooks, and developed KTA’sCOVID-era “Pop-up” program to support local restaurants and floral businesses.

Kurisu serves on several boards and advisory groups, including theUniversity of Hawaiʻi College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR)Board of Advisors, the University of Hawaiʻi Hilo School of Nursing and School of Education Advisory Boards, the Hawaiʻi Food Industry Association ExecutiveBoard, Honua Ola Bioenergy, and INPEACE.

His many honors include induction into the Hawaiʻi Food Industry Hall ofFame, the CTAHR Ka Lei Hano Heritage Award, Hawaiʻi Island Humanitarian of theYear, and numerous statewide awards recognizing his leadership, advocacy, and service to agriculture, education, and the community.

Executive Vice President, KTA Super Stores

Derek Kurisu

Iris Shimabukuro continues a legacy that began in 1947 when her Jichan, Mankichi Shimabukuro, father Roland and three uncles Jerry, Philip and Gary, started a small egg farm in Wai‘anae. With hard work and perseverance, it has grown from humble beginnings into one of Hawai‘i’s trusted local egg farms -- now known as Eggs Hawaii and the Hawaiian Egg Company.

Iris is the Vice President for the family business and oversees corporate operations. Her work reflects a simple mission: to honor the past, care for the present, and continue the Shimabukuro family’s farming tradition.

Vice President, Eggs Hawaii and the Hawaiian Egg Company

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Iris Shimabukuro

Suzanne is the Administrator for Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council, a consortium that represents Hawaiʻi's coffee, macadamia, floriculture, papaya and cacao industries. Suzanne’s mission is to drive innovation in the specialty crop industry and secure Federal and state funding to meet the challenges growers face today, whether it is pivoting in the new economy or improving crop quality.

Suzanne brings over 20 years of experience in Hawaiʻi small business, farmer-to-farmer education, and non-profit management. With SHAC since 2014, Suzanne has also served as a representative to the USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, the USDA Coffee and Cocoa Crop Germplasm Committee as well as on multiple statewide and community boards.

Finally, Suzanne is a second-generation farmer based out of the Kona region of Hawaiʻi Island with her family coffee brand of Lions Gate Farms.

Administrator, Synergistic Hawaiʻi Agriculture Council

Suzanne Shriner

As Executive Chef of Prince Waikiki, Chef Tadena oversees the overall performance of all food and beverage operations, ensuring that the hotel's diverse dining outlets are elevated for continued success.

Bringing over a decade of distinguished culinary expertise, Chef Brooke masterfully manages large-scale food and wine productions with a philosophy rooted in treating perfect ingredients with the utmost respect. He is a multi-dimensional leader whose career is anchored by early, defining roles at two of Hawaii’s most prestigious luxury properties. He first honed his craft at the Mandarin Oriental, Honolulu, where he served as Executive Sous Chef and Chef de Cuisine for the award-winning Hoku’s, before moving to the legendary Halekulani to serve as Restaurant Chef for the iconic House Without A Key.

Before joining Prince Waikiki, Chef Tadena served as the Executive Chef of the Hawaii Convention Center. His impressive career also includes nearly a decade at the HiltonHawaiian Village, where he served as both Executive Sous Chef and Banquet Chef. Additionally, he refined his leadership skills as the Executive Sous Chef at the Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Tadena also attended McKinley High School and Kapiolani Community College. Born in Honolulu and raised in Wahiawa, he brings a strong foundation in team building and engagement to the Prince Waikiki family. When heis not in the kitchen "leveling up on life," he can often be found pursuing his passion for fishing or enjoying the scenery at Hinana Bar.

Executive Chef, Prince Waikiki

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Brooke Tadena

Born and Raised in Kailua, Hawaii, Executive Chef Ike Kaluhiokalani brings together local Hawaiian flavors and some pan Asian influences to create his dishes. Inspired by island life, family traditions, and bold local flavors. Every dish is made with Aloha and a deep appreciation for the culture that shaped him.

Executive Chef, Eating House 1849 Waikiki

Ike Kaluhiokalani

Jason Harley Chow are co-owners of The Local General Store in Kaimuki. The Local General Store is both a whole animal butcher shop and a bakery. It sources whole carcass animals exclusively from Hawai'i ranchers, and every baked good center on a locally grown ingredients.

Co-owners, The Local General Store

Jason and Harley Chow

Chef Kale’s story is about loss, faith, family, and second chances. At just ten years old, he lost his father, who was his best friend, fishing mentor, and hero. As life moved forward, Kale learned to work hard, became a young father, and spent countless hours fishing and spearfishing to feed his family. Through every struggle, one person never stopped believing in him: his wife. She believed in him when they were broke, when he struggled, and during moments when he didn’t believe in himself.

The defining moment in his life came at 35 years old whenKale was struggling to breathe while lying in a hospital bed. Both his father and grandfather passed away at 36 years of age. It was at that moment he realized that all the things people spend their lives chasing — money, recognition, status — meant nothing. Kale knew nothing mattered except for God and family. Today, he cooks because he loves food made with care, honesty, and no shortcuts. His cooking is rooted in the belief that life is too precious to settle for less.

Kale hopes to leave behind a legacy of kindness, patience, and generosity. He wants people to remember him not just by the food he served, but the faith he carried, the family he cherished and the belief that every day is a gift from God.

Owner, Executive Chef, and Founder, Kale's Hale

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