Food Safety Matters

Katy Jones is the chief marketing and strategy officer at FoodLogiQ. Since joining FoodLogiQ in 2015, Katy has served as a thought leader within the food industry, providing insight and education on the importance of supplier management and traceability across the food supply chain. She has held various leadership roles with increasing levels of responsibility at FoodLogiQ, including vice president of marketing, chief marketing officer, and most recently, chief marketing and strategy officer.  ​Jeanne Duckett leads the Transparency Initiative Development for Avery Dennison Printer Systems. There, she investigates blockchain, distributed computing, radio-frequency identification (RFID), networking, and new technology.  Additionally, she manages the Food IP portfolio for Avery Dennison's printer systems and holds multiple patents in imaging, RFID handling, and various aspects of printer design including the design of food freshness printers. Jeanne is a contributing member of AIM Global and GS1 inter-industry

Bob Whitaker, recently retired, served as the chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). In that role, Bob was responsible for food safety, technology, supply chain management, and sustainability. He also served on the Center for Produce Safety's Board of Directors as well as on the California Leafy Greens Technical Committee. Prior to joining PMA, Bob spent 16 years in the biotechnology arena with DNA Plant Technology Corporation as a researcher, and then as vice president of fruit and vegetable R&D. Bob's career has also included roles at NewStar Fresh Foods and its subsidiary MissionStar Processing. Bob earned his doctorate in biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Jennifer McEntire is the vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh Produce Association. Before that, she was the vice president of science operations for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has also had roles as vice president and chief science officer a

As we wrap up 2019, the Food Safety Matters team, along with Bob Ferguson of Strategic Consulting Inc., sat down once again to discuss the biggest moments in food safety this year, and what we have to look forward to in 2020 and beyond. News Mentioned in This Episode Partial government shutdown and how it affected food safety [3:49]  Frank Yiannas joins FDA [7:49]  New swine modernization regulations [10:40] FSMA key dates [12:04]  Theo Morille-Hinds wins FSM's Distinguished Food Safety Award [13:27]  Ask Karen becomes Ask USDA [14:35]  Romaine lettuce, leafy greens, recalls, and never-ending foodborne outbreaks [16:48] Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights [38:35] Bob joins us to discuss his article featured in our December 2019/January 2020 issue Want more from Bob Ferguson? Find more of his articles and podcast segments. Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow Us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter We Want to Hear From You! Please share your com

Dr. Marta Hugas, Ph.D., is the chief scientist for the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). In this role, Marta oversees the development of EFSA's scientific strategic direction, manages scientific matters, facilitates the understanding of science, fosters scientific cooperation, and leverages connections and networks to promote EFSA's research priorities. Since joining EFSA in 2003, Marta has led the agency's Biological Hazards Unit, the Risk Assessment and Scientific Assistance Department, and the Biological Hazards and Contaminants Unit. Before joining EFSA, Marta worked for the Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology in Spain where she was head of the Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Unit. There, she led a research group on applied research on meat and food safety. Marta earned her bachelor's degree in biological sciences, a Master's degree in genetics and microbial biotechnology, as well as a Ph.D. in food microbiology. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Marta

Michael Cramer is currently the senior director of food safety and quality assurance with Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc. He is a Safe Quality Food practitioner, an American Society for Quality-certified quality auditor, and a Preventive Controls-Qualified Individual. A graduate of West Chester University, Mike earned a B.Sc. in health science in 1977. He's been an esteemed member of Food Safety Magazine's Editorial Advisory Board since 2001. Dane Bernard is currently the managing director of Bold Bear Food Safety where he offers consulting services. He is a registered specialist in food, dairy, and sanitation microbiology with the American Academy of Microbiology. Dane has been an instructor and lecturer on principles and applications of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and has helped to formulate HACCP plans for the U.S. food industry. Dane received an M.Sc. in Food Microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He's also a recipient of the Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak—for the second time—to Jerry Heath (staff entomologist) and Sharon Dobesh (director of technical services) from the Industrial Fumigant Company (IFC) about integrated pest management and some best practices that food facilities can follow. In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to IFC about: Tips for creating or improving upon a pest management program The importance of communication and partnership between the food plant and the pest management company How hard it is to change a facility's food safety culture How fluctuating environmental conditions can lead to unexpected pest problems The different types of food facilities (dry vs. wet processing) and the various types of pests and insects they tend to attract Surprising pest discoveries The most vulnerable hot spots and risky areas within most food plants The critical importance of keeping trailers and other forms of transportation clean Best practices in pest management, plus actions

Michael Cramer is currently the senior director of food safety and quality assurance with Ajinomoto Windsor, Inc. He is a Safe Quality Food practitioner, an American Society for Quality-certified quality auditor, and a Preventive Controls-Qualified Individual. A graduate of West Chester University, Mike earned a B.Sc. in health science in 1977. He's been an esteemed member of Food Safety Magazine's Editorial Advisory Board since 2001. Dane Bernard is currently the managing director of Bold Bear Food Safety where he offers consulting services. He is a registered specialist in food, dairy, and sanitation microbiology with the American Academy of Microbiology. Dane has been an instructor and lecturer on principles and applications of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and has helped to formulate HACCP plans for the U.S. food industry. Dane received an M.Sc. in Food Microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park. He's also a recipient of the Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service

Lan Lam is the senior editor of Cook's Illustrated Magazine and a cast member on PBS's America's Test Kitchen (ATK). Lan earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Wesleyan University. There, she learned scientific methods that inform her approach to developing recipes and teaching home cooks the principles of cooking and baking.  Before joining ATK, Lan learned to cook by working for James Beard Foundation Award winners and nominees in Cambridge and Boston. The James Beard Foundation Awards are presented annually to recognize U.S. culinary professionals including chefs, restaurateurs, authors, and journalists.    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Lan [25:50] about: The origins of Cook's Illustrated Magazine and ATK Explaining the 'why' behind each recipe that goes on air Addressing viewer concerns about handwashing, how television editing can be misleading, and how they work around this The process behind choosing what is discussed on ATK Commonly submitted viewer questions Addressing

Sanjay Gummalla is the vice president of regulatory and technical affairs at the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), where he recently led the effort to launch the organization's Food Safety Zone online tool released earlier this year.  Previously, Sanjay was the vice president of product development at Zentis North America. Before that, he spent time at Givaudan where he served as the lead scientist for food and dairy processing and was responsible for conducting research to establish impact, performance, and stability of new ingredients and technologies. He also spent time in dairy flavor development at Cargill. Sanjay earned his Ph.D. in nutrition and food sciences at Utah State University in 2000 and was a post-doctoral researcher at the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Sanjay [17:59] about: Sanjay's career and background The history of AFFI and the organization's recent 75th anniversary AFFI's science-based and risk-based appr

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to two experts from Phoseon. Theresa Thompson is an application scientist for Phoseon's Life Science Group. Jay Pasquantonio is the strategy director for Phoseon's Life Science Group. Theresa and Jay discuss the use of ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) technology to reduce pathogens in food.   In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Phoseon about: Phoseon's use of UV LED disinfection systems to reduce and control foodborne pathogens from food products and contact surfaces The potential to use UV LED to treat beverages, produce, packaging, and various surfaces The overall benefits of using UV light, particularly in food processing Environments and instances that are ideal (and not ideal) for Phoseon's food safety applications Why traditional or more aggressive methods to eliminate pathogens may not be desirable The risks of purchasing UV LED equipment and systems from commercial market sellers Worker safety when using UV LED ligh

Oscar Garrison is the senior vice president of food safety regulatory affairs at United Egg Producers. Previously, he was the director of food safety with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. As a past president of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, Oscar led the national organization's efforts to promote an integrated food safety system by working with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and industry. Oscar earned his B.Sc. in Forensic Science and Technology from Jacksonville State University. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Oscar [20:25] about: How his background in forensic science led him to an unexpected career in food safety The most challenging aspects of being a state regulator How state regulatory bodies work with federal and local agencies to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks Why having specialized staff and maintaining those staff members are crucial at the state regulatory level How state regulators can help educate small and independent producers I

Dr. Laura Gieraltowski leads the Foodborne Outbreak Response Team in the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. She leads the team that helps coordinate the national network of epidemiologists and other public health officials who investigate outbreaks of foodborne and other enteric illnesses. ​Laura is a graduate of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service Program. She received a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and has a Masters of Public Health degree in behavioral health sciences from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She has worked at the CDC since 2009 and has been involved in numerous multistate outbreak investigations leading to the identification and recall of food products. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Laura [14:39] about: CDC's role in foodborne outbreak investigations How CDC works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and th

Theodora Morille-Hinds is the vice president of global quality food safety for The Kellogg Company. She is also the 2019 recipient of Food Safety Magazine's Distinguished Service Award. Stacey Popham is the head of food safety and quality for the Americas region of Barry Callebaut. Dr. Mindy Brashears is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. Tim Stubbs is the vice president of product research and food safety for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Theo [13:18] about: The greatest day-to-day challenges in her current role at Kellogg Partnerships with Michigan State University, University of Georgia, and more Celebrating women and girls in science How she unexpectedly got into food science Advice to young women who may be thinking about a science-related career We speak to Stacey [27:59] about: The first-ever World Food Safety Day and how it prompted Barry Callebaut to initiate monthly Food Safety Friday meetings wi

Cindy Jiang is senior director, Global Food and Packaging Safety, Global Supply Chain & Sustainability, for McDonald’s Corporation. Her responsibilities include leading global supplier quality management systems and programs, establishing science-based food safety standards and policies, managing food-related emerging issues, and providing guidance on nutrition information, accuracy, and consistency. She has been the lead for the McDonald’s Food Safety Advisory Council since 2002, a forum for sharing food safety knowledge and best practices among leading suppliers and external experts. Cindy has been actively involved with industry and government collaboration on food safety. She has served on the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Board since 2008 and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors at the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Cindy began her career with the McDonald’s Corporation after receiving a M.Sc. in food science and nutrition from

Joan Menke-Schaenzer is the chief quality officer at Van Drunen Farms and FutureCeuticals. There, she is responsible for the safety and quality of the company's vegetable and herb growing and processing plants—both conventional and organic—as well as their nutraceutical ingredient business.  Joan's career has also included food safety and quality roles in manufacturing, foodservice, and retail. She's led McDonalds' global supply chain, safety, and compliance organization. She spearheaded food safety and quality at ConAgra, Walmart, and Kraft as well. Joan served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Advisory Committee and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Board of Scientific Counselors Food Safety Modernization Act Implementation Working Group. Joan earned her B.Sc. in food science from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.   In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Joan [17:09] about: Challenges she's experienced across the supply chain at various levels of the food industry The im

Dr. Robert (Bob) Powitz is the principal and technical director of R.W.Powitz & Associates. There, he specializes in forensic sanitation services to industry, law firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. Bob has dedicated his career to food safety having worked for over 54 years to study, develop, and implement the most effective sanitation practices. Bob has served as director of environmental health and safety and biological safety officer at Wayne State University where he also held the title of Adjunct Associate Professor in the College of Engineering. He also served as director of biological safety and environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as health director for five different towns in Connecticut.  He is currently the public health consultant for the Bucks County, PA, Department of Corrections. Bob received his undergraduate education in agronomy and plant pathology from the State University of New York and the University of Georgia. He holds a M.Sc. in Public Healt

Dr. Robert (Bob) Powitz is the principal and technical director of R.W.Powitz & Associates. There, he specializes in forensic sanitation services to industry, law firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. Bob has dedicated his career to food safety having worked for over 54 years to study, develop, and implement the most effective sanitation practices. Bob has served as director of environmental health and safety and biological safety officer at Wayne State University where he also held the title of Adjunct Associate Professor in the College of Engineering. He also served as director of biological safety and environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as health director for five different towns in Connecticut.  He is currently the public health consultant for the Bucks County, PA, Department of Corrections. Bob received his undergraduate education in agronomy and plant pathology from the State University of New York and the University of Georgia. He holds a M.Sc. in Public Healt

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Jerry Heath (staff entomologist) and Sharon Dobush (director of technical services) from the Industrial Fumigant Company (IFC) about how to set up and utilize a pest management program that is compliant with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and that also works well with a food processor's existing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls plan. In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to IFC about: FSMA's impact on how pest management fits into a company's overall food safety plan The main challenge that pest management clients want to address and learn more about Changes in how auditors now approach their inspection methods with new regulations in place Steps that a food company will need to take in order to implement or overhaul their pest program Mapping tools and how they help companies to better pinpoint the cause and/or source of an infestation How the trend of going c

Jeff Farber is the director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety and head of the University of Guelph's Food Safety and Quality Assurance M.Sc. program.  Farber's most well-known work is a 1991 review paper on Listeria monocytogenes. He's also authored an estimated 50 other papers on Listeria research and risk assessment. Farber worked at Health Canada for a number of years as a research scientist, research division chief, associate director, and director of microbial food safety. His research interests at Health Canada centered around mycotoxins, Listeria monocytogenes, and Cronobacter sakazakii. He also played a large role in developing many of the food safety policies that are currently in place in Health Canada. Jeff is the former President of the International Association of Food Protection. He also serves on the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods, the New York Academy of Sciences Committee on Food Safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's External A

At the 21st annual Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, IL, editorial director Barbara VanRenterghem sat down with four food safety pros for real-time insight on the Summit sessions, topics, trends, and more. Craig Henry is a food safety consultant with Intro Inc. There, he specializes in U.S. food safety program development and review for federal regulatory compliance such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). He is a lead instructor for FSMA Preventive Control Qualified Individual training for human food. He also led the contracting team delivering technical content for FSMA human food guidance to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prior to this role, Craig's previous roles were with Decernis, Deloitte and Touche, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Koch Foods, Foster Farms, and Cargill, among others.  Gary Ades is president of G&L Consulting Group LLC. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine. Paul Kiecker is the Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Departmen