Food Safety Matters

Barbara Masters, D.V.M., is the Vice President of Regulatory Policy, Food, and Agriculture at Tyson Foods Inc., where she provides regulatory vision and support to the enterprise and gives oversight to the Office of Animal Welfare. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Partnership for Food Safety Education, the Center for Foodborne Illness, and the Steering Committee of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Previously, Dr. Masters spent nine years as a Senior Policy Advisor at Olsson Frank Weeda, where she worked closely with the meat and poultry industry to ensure regulatory compliance. She also served as Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), where she established a solid infrastructure of science-based policies and data analysis to reduce foodborne illness and product recalls. Dr. Masters holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University and a Food Animal Internship from Kansas State University. In this

Patrick Guzzle, M.P.H., M.A. is the Vice President of Food Science for the National Restaurant Association. He has been involved in retail food safety for over 20 years, since his wife contracted Escherichia coli O157:H7. Patrick’s career in food safety began as an Environmental Health Specialist in the Southeastern Idaho Public Health District. He later became the Environmental Health Supervisor and was involved in all aspects of environmental health. In 2004, Patrick was hired as the Idaho Food Protection Program Manager with the State Division of Public Health. During that time, he served as President of the Idaho Environmental Health Association. In 2018, Patrick started Mountain West Food Safety LLC and was the Principal Consultant. In addition to helping several clients strengthen their own food safety efforts, Patrick regularly taught ServSafe® courses throughout Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Patrick has been an active participant in the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) and has served on several Commit

Britanny Saunier, M.P.A. is the Executive Director of the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE). She focuses on leveraging PFSE's historical leadership in cross-sector collaboration and ensuring organizational effectiveness to realize PFSE's mission to develop and promote effective education programs to reduce foodborne illness risk for consumers. Britanny began as an intern at PFSE in 2011, and later served as PFSE's Director of Development, successfully increasing PFSE's program service revenue and bringing diversification to PFSE's Partner network. She facilitated program engagement with consumer and academic food safety experts, supporting PFSE programs including the National Consumer Food Safety Education Conference. Britanny holds a master's degree in Public Administration with a Health Policy focus from the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Washington, D.C. Ashley Eisenbeiser, M.S., C.F.S. is Senior Director for Food and Product Safety Programs for FMI, The Food Industr

Darin Detwiler, LP.D., M.A.Ed., is a food safety academic, advisor, advocate, and author with a 30-year history of working to control foodborne illness. After losing his son, Riley, to a foodborne Escherichia coli infection in 1993, Dr. Detwiler was invited by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to collaborate on consumer education. He has since been appointed twice to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) National Advisory Board on Meat and Poultry Inspection, and has represented consumers as the Senior Policy Coordinator for non-governmental organizations, served on consumer food protection councils, and supported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA's) implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In addition to fulfilling his current role as Chair of the National Environmental Health Association’s (NEHA's) Food Safety Program, Dr. Detwiler sits on numerous advisory and editorial boards, is the Founder and CEO Detwiler Consulting Group LLC, and is an Associate Professor of food

Kris de Smet, D.V.M., is the Head of the Food Hygiene Team under the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety at the European Commission. Dr. de Smet graduated as a Veterinary Doctor in 1987, and from 1988–1992, he was a Researcher at the University of Ghent, Belgium in the faculty of Veterinary Science. From 1992–2001, he was employed in the private sector, being mainly involved in veterinary services and quality control of poultry integration. Since 2001, Dr. de Smet has worked as an official at the European Commission under the Health and Food Safety Directorate-General, where he has been involved in the management of EU legislation on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and zoonoses (mainly Salmonella). Since the beginning of 2009, he has served as the head of the team coordinating EU legislation on control of food hygiene, official controls for products of animal origin, and control of foodborne zoonoses. He also coordinates the EU position at the Codex Alimentarius Committee Food Hygiene and is

Andre Pierce joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2022 as the Retail Food Protection Division Director in the Office of State Cooperative Programs (OSCP). He came to FDA with 34 years of experience at a local health department, where he built relationships, shared knowledge, and promoted quality improvement through the Voluntary Retail Program Standards. Andre earned his B.Sc. degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.P.A. from North Carolina State University. David Morales is the Managing Supervisor for the Environmental Health Division at Arizona's Maricopa County Environmental Services Department. He joined the Department in June 2000 as a Health Inspector for the Environmental Health Division, performing health inspections for restaurants, hotels and motels, mobile home parks, swimming pools, and school grounds. David has also served as a Hispanic Liaison, Training Officer, Supervisor, and Managing Supervisor for the Quality and Compliance Di

Sarah Gallo is Vice President of Product Policy at the Consumer Brands Association (CBA). In her role, Sarah holistically oversees Consumer Brands' policy leadership on smart regulation issues, from advocacy through education to marketplace solutions. Prior to joining CBA, she served as Vice President of Agriculture and Environment for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, where she led the organization's strategy across agriculture, food systems, energy, and bio-based manufacturing. Earlier in Sarah’s career, she held roles at CHS Inc. and the National Corn Growers Association and served as Agriculture Counsel with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business. She graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in Marine Biology. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Sarah [24:28] about: CBA’s key recommendations for FDA during its restructuring, and how those suggestions are  informed by looking at FDA modernization through the lens of the consumer Specific changes that C

Steven A. Lyon, Ph.D., is the Director of Food Safety–Field Operations at Chick-Fil-A Inc. He has been with Chick-fil-A since 2009, leading various food safety and animal welfare initiatives. His current role is centered on control of foodborne and respiratory diseases within the enterprise. He has held several roles encompassing supply chain food safety; product safety; restaurant procedure; kitchen design reviews, solutions, and innovations; animal welfare; and regulatory compliance. Prior to Chick-fil-A, he was with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for seven years, where he worked on several projects involving antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and surveillance programs aimed at protecting public health from emerging foodborne pathogens. His work has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and magazines associated with poultry production. Dr. Lyon holds a B.S. degree in Poultry Science, an M.S. degree in Microbiology, and a Ph.D. in Food Microbiology, all from the University of Georgia's C

Tracy Fink is the Director of Scientific Programs and Science and Policy Initiatives at IFT. She has more than 25 years of experience in leading food safety and logistics initiatives for the food industry, including with Schwan Food Co. and NSF International. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Tracy [29:49] about: Tracy’s work overseeing IFT’s food safety programs, which focus on several strategic topics of interest Programming and discussions that will take place at the IFT FIRST conference in July, the theme of which will be “Innovation in a time of crisis: Can we future-proof the food system?” Industry concerns, like facility cleanliness, with the introduction of sesame as a major food allergen, and resources for industry provided and being developed by IFT IFT’s commodity-specific video series to help industry comply with FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule (FSMA 204) How IFT’s global membership and partnerships with international organizations contribute to strengthening food science a

Angela Fernandez is the Vice President of Community Engagement at GS1 U.S., where she is responsible for driving broader adoption of GS1 Standards to help industry achieve their goals for improved product traceability, product information transparency, and data quality. Since joining GS1 U.S. more than 15 years ago, Angela has collaborated with a diverse range of industry stakeholders to identify how the use of GS1 Standards can improve supply chain business processes and e-commerce operations, as well as address regulatory requirements to deliver safe products to patients and consumers. Angela is a frequent guest speaker at industry events, including the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) Edge and the National Restaurant Association Show. She has also been a traceability and recall resource for media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Food Safety Magazine, Food Logistics, and Packaging Digest. Angela holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Drexel

Christopher Waldrop, M.P.H., is a Senior Health Scientist in the Division of Public Health Informatics and Analytics at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA’s CFSAN). In this role, he leads cross-agency workgroups to advance FDA priorities on nutrition, food safety, and biotechnology issues. He also helps identify and assess emerging consumer research and educational needs, advises CFSAN leadership on potential and emerging issues, and assists in prioritizing activities in FDA's food program. Mr. Waldrop holds a degree in advertising from Texas Tech University and an M.P.H. degree from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vanessa Coffman is the Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness. She comes to Stop Foodborne Illness with a diverse background in food safety and sustainability, with a focus on environmental exposures across the food system. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health an

Bill Potter, Ph.D. is a Technical Advisor at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Potter received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas, as well as a B.S. degree in Animal Science and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University. His areas of expertise include food safety, food quality, and pathogen intervention technologies. Nikki Shariat, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in the Department of Population Health at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Vanderbilt University and a B.Sc. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of East Anglia in the UK. She is listed as an author or co-author on more than 40 published scientific papers, and is also the author of a book chapter in Salmonella: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology). In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Potter and Dr. Shariat [2:06] about: Indust

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2023 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Deb Kane, Vice President of Food Safety, Quality, EHSS, and Regulatory at J&J Snack Foods Corp; Sandra Eskin, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); and Ann Marie McNamara, Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Commercialization at US Foods. We also heard from Brian Barr of ABB and Andrew Lansinger of QAD Redzone. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk with: Deb Kane [2:52] about the importance of (and misconceptions about) root-cause analysis in risk management, as well as learnings from the 2023 Food Safety Summit “Got Root Cause?” workshop Brian Barr [16:35] about improving electrical systems in food facilities to optimize food safety Sandra Eskin [29:56] about USDA’s ongoing work to reduce cases of salmonellosis linked to poultry, including the recent Proposed Regulatory Framework and upcoming p

To get a taste of the discussions happening at the 2022 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Michael (Mike) Taylor, J.D., Board Member Emeritus at Stop Foodborne Illness and the 2023 Recipient of Food Safety Magazine’s Distinguished Service Award; Steve Ardaugh, CEO and Founder of Eagle Protect; Mindy Brashears, Ph.D., Professor of Food Safety and Public Health at Texas Tech University; and Harshavardhan Thippareddi, Ph.D., John Bekkers Professor of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with: Mike Taylor [31:51] about his achievements and learnings during his career, and words of advice to the next generation of food safety professionals Steve Ardagh [53:55] about the hidden threat of glove contamination Dr. Mindy Brashears [1:02:50] and Dr. Harshavardhan Thippareddi [1:21:49] about Salmonella controls in poultry establishments, USDA's related Proposed Regulatory Framework, and the professors' respective work to advance food safety Bailey Dah

Angela Anandappa, Ph.D. is the Founding Director for the Alliance for Advanced Sanitation. She has researched and worked in food safety and genomics for over 20 years, having established the Food Systems Innovation Center at the University of Kentucky with the goal of providing resources for local food businesses. She is also a board member of the Animal Digestible Food Packaging Initiative. Dr. Anandappa has led the Alliance for Advanced Sanitation  in its strategic and scientific direction since its inception at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Prior to founding the Alliance, she led the supply chain food safety pillar of the Kraft Heinz Company. She has been instrumental in product development and launching food, beverage, and animal feed products for a range of businesses, from very small to billion-dollar brands. Dr. Anandappa earned her Ph.D. in Animal and Food Science from the University of Kentucky with a focus on food microbiology and systems level food safety programs. She is a member of the

Sally Powell Price is MilliporeSigma’s Regulatory and Public Health Expert for Food and Beverage Safety Testing in North America. Previously, she served as Director of Lab Operations at a biotech startup in Boston and was the Food Lab Supervisor at the New York City Department of Health Public Health Laboratory. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Hamilton College, a M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology from James Cook University in Australia, and did continuing coursework in public health and foodborne disease at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. She is a member of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and AOAC International.  Justyce Jedlicka serves as the Food and Beverage Regulatory Liaison in North America for MilliporeSigma. Responsible for engaging with influencers in the food and beverage industry to align initiatives with regulatory compliance and promote best practices for f

Frank Yiannas is a food safety culture expert, a food safety executive at global brands, an author, and an adjunct professor. He served as the Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2018–February 2023. While at FDA, he was instrumental in creating the New Era for Smarter Food Safety blueprint and many other initiatives related to the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Frank has also held food safety leadership roles with Walmart and the Walt Disney Company. Additionally, he advanced global thinking on food safety culture with his pivotal 2008 book, Food Safety Culture: Creating a Behavior-Based Food Safety Management System. Frank has long been recognized for his role in elevating food safety standards and building food safety management systems based on science and risk. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Frank [24:37] about: The differences and similarities between working in food safety in the public a

Andre C. Pierce, M.P.A., REHS joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January 2022, serving as the Retail Food Protection Division Director in the Office of State Cooperative Programs (OSCP). He came to the position with 34 years of experience at a local health department in building relationships, sharing knowledge, and promoting quality improvement through the Voluntary Retail Program Standards. Andre earned his B.Sc. degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.P.A. degree from North Carolina State University. Ben Chapman, Ph.D. is Head of the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, Professor, and Director of the Safe Plates Food Safety Extension and Research Program at North Carolina State University. With the goal of reducing foodborne illness, his group researches food handling and food safety systems, designs and implements food safety strategies, and evaluates messages and media from farm-to-fork. Since February 2020, Dr. Chapman has been provid

Donald A. Prater, D.V.M. is Acting Director of the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Since 2019, he has also served as Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety in OFPR, providing direction to and management of imported food safety programs. In addition, he served as a senior scientific advisor and technical expert on matters related to human and animal food safety and the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Before joining OFPR, Dr. Prater was the Assistant Commissioner for Food Safety Integration, serving as the principal spokesperson on behalf of FDA’s Foods and Veterinary Medicine Program for imports discussions with external stakeholders, including foreign governments, as well as being responsible for import-related strategic resource planning activities. Earlier in his FDA tenure, Dr. Prater was Director of FDA's Europe Office in Brussels, Belgium, and served as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Co

Keya Mukherjee, Ph.D., is a Food Safety Specialist with the Food Systems and Food Safety Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Dr. Mukherjee coordinates the division's work on food safety foresight, where she uses "futures thinking" to identify and evaluate new trends and drivers with varying impacts on the global food safety landscape. She has authored a number of publications on key emerging areas in food safety. She is also part of the FAO Secretariat of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), a body that provides independent scientific advice on various food additives, veterinary drugs, and contaminants to different Codex Alimentarius committees and FAO member countries. Dr. Mukherjee holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University, an M.S. degree in Biotechnology from the University of Essex, and a B.S. degree in Life Sciences from Ramnarain Ruia College.  Vittorio Fattori, Ph.D., is a Food Safety Officer in the Food Systems a