🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are discussing a new development in the poultry industry: a waiver made during the pandemic that allowed poultry plants to increase their speeds from 140 to 175 birds per minute has now been made permanent.

This change raises numerous concerns around how to guarantee that the meat being processed is safe for consumers and that the plant is a safe space for workers. They go over the current flaws in the industry, some solutions to make processes more efficient, and the end product safer for Americans.

In this episode:

💩 [03:19] Speedy butchery: when dead chickens fly

💩 [04:58] The realities of meat packing plants versus at-home butchering

💩 [09:03] How meat inspections fall short in these plants

💩 [10:38] When it went from bad to worse

💩 [11:29] Meat safety is, apparently, still in the hands of the wife

💩 [12:03] The hazard behind the new 175 birds per minute speed

💩 [13:22] USDA inspectors don’t guarantee meat safety at any speed

💩 [14:50] Some sobering foodborne illness stats connected to poultry

💩 [15:20] What will actually decrease Salmonella in American chickens

💩 [17:14] How higher speeds will affect workers’ safety

💩 [18:55] Industry consolidation and its consequences for mom-and-pops

💩 [23:53] Ways to actually make the meat inspection process effective

💩 [25:07] When chickens still have feathers after being processed

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Read Dr. Darin Detwiler’s opinion piece in Food Safety News, Unsafe at any speed — again: The meat industry’s looming crisis.

Watch the Grammy Award-Winning Food Safety Documentary, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food, where you’ll see some dead chickens flying.

Check out an “I Love Lucy” clip that shows the scene Matt and Francine are talking about, but colorized.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ The population is going to continue to increase. We're an exporter of food. We need somehow to allow us to create more plants effectively and efficiently by using new technology that does not revolve around hiring a USDA inspector to sit down there and watch 175 birds a minute fly past their face.” – Matt Regusci

“ 1.3 million people get sick from Salmonella every year, some 420 die, and nearly a quarter of those cases come from poultry. Another 1.5 million people suffer from campylobacter infections, which is traced back to contaminated poultry.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about some very frustrating but (unfortunately) not surprising news: the FSMA 204 implementation process has been pushed off yet again and the food industry now has 30 additional months to become fully compliant.

Tune in to discover what FSMA 204 is all about, why it matters so much that this gets accomplished, and the causes and consequences of this delay.

In this episode:

💩 [01:17] The big news: FSMA 204 compliance gets pushed off yet again

💩 [04:19] Why this traceability rule matters

💩 [04:59] How this rule will improve the way the FDA handles outbreaks  

💩 [08:12] Why the industry is so resistant to adopting FSMA 204

💩 [08:39] 14 years in and neither the industry nor the FDA has implemented it yet

💩 [10:35] The dire and little-known consequences of this continued delay

💩 [13:57] Corporate culture and the role of industry associations in this fight

💩 [15:26] Complicated and expensive, but worth it to everyone

💩 [16:33] Will this new rule ever be implemented?

💩 [18:35] How the bureaucracy around food safety is getting in the way

💩 [21:31] Consumer awareness around the quality and safety of our food  

💩 [25:19] Food should not only be safe, it should also be healthy

💩 [27:10] How hard it is to eat healthily in the U.S.

💩 [29:41] Some predictions about where U.S. food safety is headed

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with our interview with Andy Kennedy on Episode 97 | Insider Knowledge on the FDA's Traceability Rule FSMA 204 and Its Implementation with Andrew Kennedy from iFoodDS.

Catch up with our interview with Roger Hancock on Episode 42 | What Does A Fast And Efficient Food Recall Look Like? With Roger Hancock, CEO of Recall InfoLink.

Check out the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) List, Francine mentions.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I don't think people really truly understand how important one hour is in an outbreak, in a recall situation, every minute that product is on the shelf is a minute that somebody is purchasing it or consuming it in a restaurant, and is just another potential person that will get sick and potentially die.” – Matt Regusci

“ We could do this, but they don't want to. They choose. They choose not to. It's a choice, and they choose not to. The FDA has chosen not to deal with this for the last 14 years. The bottom line is they choose not to, over public health and food safety. Because it is a choice and they're choosing not to deal with it.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about a very important but also potentially controversial topic: how the significant changes that are happening with this new administration in the USDA, CDC, FDA, and other U.S. agencies that oversee food will impact food safety and the lives of American citizens.

Tune in for this much-needed discussion.

They bring the information they’ve gathered from talking to a lot of people in these different agencies and focus on the actual policy implications, opportunities, and issues rather than simply the politics behind it all. They also share what they believe should be done to make the U.S. food safety system function appropriately.

In this episode:

💩 [01:38] Preface to the episode, which touches upon current politics

💩 [09:16] Can the government solve these problems?

💩 [10:30] Bureaucracy is getting in the way

💩 [13:11] The consequences of the current government incentives

💩 [14:28] From constantly replacing everybody to not being able to let them go

💩 [17:36] The article on Jim Jones’ resignation that Francine participated in

💩 [19:35] The confusing way food is overseen in the U.S. and some solutions

💩 [25:52] What was wrong with the FDA Reorganization Plan

💩 [26:57] What Francine and Matt would do to improve the food safety system

💩 [41:47] Matt and Francine’s views on what the future will bring

💩 [45:27] The impact of lobbyists and the origin of the term

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Read the article Francine mentions with her and other food safety leaders’ opinions on Jim Jones’ leaving the FDA, QA Exclusive: Food Safety Leaders React to Jim Jones’ Departure, FDA Layoffs.

Catch up with the episode where Matt and Francine discuss the FDA reorg, Episode 69 | A Look at the FDA’s Reorganization Plan and Some Food Safety Mythbusting.

Check out Part I and Part II of Francine’s episode on Hal King’s Food Safety Unwrapped podcast.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ Our whole entire career, you and I have worked very, very hard, ruffled very, very many feathers, took in a lot of stones, pissed off a lot of people because we really believe in the mission. I think there are some people in the government that really do believe in their mission. I don't think they're the majority.” – Matt Regusci

“ 3000 people die every year from eating food. We know people whose children have gotten sick and had lifelong ramifications, people whose children have died, and it's not a game.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are alone again for a change. Matt brought up a very important topic for discussion: at-home freeze drying, something that’s quickly growing in popularity.

Matt confessed that he has some ulterior motives behind his topic choice. He wants a freeze dryer in his home, but he’s still trying to convince his wife that this is a wise choice.

Tune in to learn all about freeze drying food at home, including what exactly freeze drying is, how the process works, and how to make sure you’re doing it correctly, so you’re able to have products with a shelf life of 25 years and, most importantly, not die.

In this episode:

💩 [02:51] Having an at-home freeze dryer

💩 [04:14] The science behind freeze drying

💩 [07:11] The importance of packaging swiftly and correctly

💩 [09:48] Matt’s dilemma: an at-home freeze dryer or a pig?

💩 [11:45] The investment and training needed to have this sizable appliance

💩 [15:44] How the cottage food industry is embracing freeze dried products

💩 [17:10] The particulars of getting and installing an at-home freeze dryer

💩 [21:29] Some of the things that can go wrong and how to handle them

💩 [25:39] The safest and the riskiest foods to freeze dry

💩 [28:33] Best practices for safe at-home freeze drying

💩 [33:04] A new way to reach your daily veggie intake goals

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out the Food Safety News article Matt mentions, At-home freeze drying: A growing trend with food safety concerns.

Catch up with the episode where they talk about a guy who sold Walmart pizzas that he microwaved in his own oven on DoorDash Episode 14 | Certification Fraud in The Food Safety Industry.

If you want to learn how to calibrate a thermometer, listen to Episode 92 | A Recap of 2024’s Major Outbreaks with Bill Marler.

Interested in freeze drying your food at home? Check out Harvest Right’s Home Freeze Dryers.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ I know that this is going to last 25 years because that's what it said on the package. That is correct. If done correctly, if not, it's a ticking time bomb of food compliance issues.” – Matt Regusci

“[Freeze drying is] going to take all the moisture out of the food. So, if there's no moisture, it's going to be safe because you need the moisture for the bacteria to grow.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are sharing with you the food safety star-studded “Food Safety Voices: Communicating Effectively in Challenging Times” LinkedIn Live with guests: Bryan Armentrout, Dr. Darin Detwiler, Jill Stuber, and Tia Glave.

These are six of the most recognized voices in food safety and they came together to discuss how to effectively communicate critical food safety messages in difficult situations both in public and professional arenas.

From media interviews to industry panels, from crisis responses to everyday advocacy, everyone shared personal experiences, communication frameworks, practical takeaways, and strategies for engaging positively and effectively with the public, industry, and regulators.

In this episode:

💩 [01:06] Meet our 6 leading food safety professionals

💩 [04:22] Francine: tips to work well with the media and avoid mishaps

💩 [12:46] Matt: the power of stories for effective food safety communication

💩 [20:16] Bryan: learning the skills to communicate well in any situation

💩 [25:27] Tips for getting over your nerves and speaking to a large group

💩 [30:18] Tia: understanding your audience’s WHY and building relationships

💩 [40:47] How to engage with people who minimize food safety issues

💩 [44:00] Jill: the need to develop your emotional intelligence (EQ)

💩 [50:19] The elements and balance of an effective message

💩 [51:13] The importance of getting the leadership involved

💩 [54:58] Leadership lessons, humor, and how to create culture

💩 [59:33] Last round of advice and takeaways

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Watch the LinkedIn live in full here.

Learn more about Bryan Armentrout’s The Food Leadership Group, tune into his podcast Food Safety Chat - Live!, and get a copy of his book The New Manager Mindset.

Catch up with previous episodes with Dr. Darin Detwiler, starting with Episode 81, where you’ll find the links to the other ones as well. Make sure to check his book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions as well.

Learn more about Tia Glave and Jill Stuber’s Catalyst Food Leaders, and tune into Real Talk with Jill & Tia, their LinkedIn Live series. Also, see Tia’s  Black Professionals in Food Safety and Quality.

Don’t forget to save your seat for Catalyst’s virtual Leadership Summit for People in Food on Wednesday, April 2nd.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“That false belief that all I have to do is point to a piece of paper and then say, you have to do this, that people are going to do it, right? That's completely false.” – Bryan Armentrout

“We need to use these stories. We need to engage with these people to remind them that these weren't just leadership lessons. These were life lessons and that these are not just job responsibilities. These are responsibilities that impact lives.” – Dr. Darin Detwiler

“No matter who your audience is, you still have to create awareness around what will resonate with them.” – Jill Stuber

“ Get the leadership skills you need in order to communicate effectively with people. So you can build those relationships, create safe spaces and trust, so you can understand their values, their beliefs, and their assumptions around what we do.” – Tia Glave

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Bryan, Dr. Darin, Jill, Tia, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Kim Carlton, the Retail Food Program Manager at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, straight from the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.

As you probably know by now, with federalism in the US, the federal government, the states, the counties, and the municipalities all have their own way of doing things when it comes to food safety. Today, Kim explains how the state of Minnesota keeps their citizens safe from foodborne illnesses.

She also shares some of her best and most unbelievable stories from the time she was an environmental health inspector.

In this episode:

💩 [01:45] How the Retail Food Safety Program in Minnesota works

💩 [06:34] How Minnesota manages the data from health inspections

💩 [07:18] Kim’s role in the National Environmental Health Association

💩 [08:49] Kim’s perception of environmental health throughout her career

💩 [11:04] Challenges Kim faced as an inspector

💩 [12:30] The pizza incident

💩 [13:27] We've come a long way as women in food safety, but not far enough

💩 [15:06] The celebrity chef’s very public tantrum

💩 [17:48] The cockroach mayhem

💩 [21:08] Is there anything you would do differently?

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with the conversation Matt and Francine had with Doug Farquhar in Episode 87 | The Impacts of American Federalism on US Food Safety with Doug Farquhar.

Discover more unbelievable stories like these in Francine’s book Who Watches the Kitchen? where she shares her own experiences out in the field as a health inspector.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Depending on where you are in the state of Minnesota and what type of retail food you sell, it could be one of 30 different agencies that regulate you.” – Kim Carlton

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Kim, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by David Lennarz, the President of Registrar Corp, a company that helps their clients to become and continue to be compliant with U.S. FDA Regulations.

 According to Matt, David is one of the most important, least-known people in the American food and beverage, cosmetic, medical device, and drug industries, and today, he is sharing his expertise from 22 working in the field with us.

You’ll learn about FDA Compliance nationally and internationally, what to watch out for, David’s take on the significant changes happening within the FDA and with the new administration, and more.

In this episode:

💩 [01:34] The many ways Registrar Corp helps clients with FDA Compliance

💩 [11:00] How ComplyHub can change the game for the supply chains

💩 [15:27] The impact of FSMA on importers and retailers

💩 [17:06] Supply chain issues and weaknesses and a possible solution

💩 [20:04] Food and customs fraud and the impact of higher tariffs

💩 [27:08] How recent FDA changes will affect the industry

💩 [29:11] The Wild West of dietary supplements

💩 [35:18] Some predictions on where FSMA 204 will go

💩 [37:17] The impacts of tariffs and regulations on food prices

💩 [44:10] The biggest change that’s happened and the biggest one that should

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn more about the 100% online compliance training Registrar Corp offers here.

Catch up with Episode 51 | Stanley Cups vs. Cinnamon Applesauce: Which Is More Likely To Give You Lead Poisoning? to learn more about the WanaBana Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak.

Catch up with Episode 97 | Insider Knowledge on the FDA's Traceability Rule FSMA 204 and Its Implementation with Andrew Kennedy from iFoodDS for more information on FSMA 204 and Matt’s former business partner.

Listen to Episode 62 | Food Safety Gets the Short End of the Stick (Again) for our take on the FDA’s 37-million-dollar cut on funds for state food inspection programs.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ We're never going to stop importing products. You'd see about half of the products on a store shelf because even though a base product that you think could be made here, the problem is there are ingredients to make that product. But it's made with five different ingredients coming from three different countries.” – David Lennarz

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with David, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Nevin Barich, the food and beverage guru of Industry Intelligence Inc.

With 15+ years working as a curator and editor of all information and content out there about the food and beverage industry that his company can gather, Nevin shares a little bit of how this type of market intelligence works, how companies benefit from it, and the trends that have been emerging during his time in the role.

Prepare to see a side of the industry we don’t often see or talk about: the data that’s behind it all.

In this episode:

💩 [01:05] Meet Nevin Barich and learn what his company does for their clients

💩 [04:01] How it all works in practice

💩 [05:47] What business intelligence and Bruce Almighty have in common

💩 [07:51] Nevin’s role within the food and beverage space

💩 [09:14] The importance of the human element in a world of automation and AI

💩 [10:49] What type of food safety data companies are actually looking for

💩 [12:09] The Legislation Monitor, how it works, and its benefits over others

💩 [16:23] How Nevin’s company tracks outbreaks for their clients

💩 [16:44] How we met and what the latest McDonald’s outbreak meant to Nevin

💩 [19:26] The impact of Don’t Eat Poop! and others in the industry on listeners

💩 [21:41] L.A. versus Los Angeles and Nevin’s 17 years in the same company

💩 [24:03] The January 2025 L.A. wildfires

💩 [25:16] The biggest change within food and beverage over the last 17 years

💩 [27:13] Why the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak was so shocking and its lessons

💩 [30:10] The growing interest in regulatory changes in food safety

💩 [32:43] Stay tuned for a future LinkedIn Live with Nevin

💩 [34:38] Paying someone who is creating content about you

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn more about Nevin’s company’s services, including the new Legislation Monitor they have at industryintel.com 

Listen to Francine’s interview on Food Safety Unwrapped Hal King’s podcast, From Kitchen to Compliance: A Dual Perspective on Food Safety. You can find Part I here and Part II here.

Catch up with some of our most impactful episodes yet:

• Episode 93 | Letter from a Widow of Boar’s Head Listeria Liverwurst
• Episode 88 | McDonald’s, Here We Go Again: Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald’s

Subscribe to the Don’t Eat Poop! Newsletter on LinkedIn here and stay up-to-date with all our episodes.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“From where I sit, I think it's a matter of really being cautious [about AI] because it's very easy to just say, ‘Oh, the AI will just do everything for us.’ Maybe one day it will, but in the meantime, there's a lot of tweaks and fixes that need to be made again, like any other technology that's ever come up.” – Nevin Barich

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Nevin, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Food Safety Sanitation Professional Elena Montoya.

She has been one of the podcast’s most loyal listeners, and if you look through Francine’s, Matt’s, and the Don’t Eat Poop!’s posts on LinkedIn, you will certainly find one of her comments, which are always very thoughtful and bring something new to the table.

So, it’s only natural that someone as passionate about food safety and helping others become the best food safety professionals and leaders they can be as our hosts should be one of our first guests in 2025.

Get ready for some great laughs (usually Matt’s fault), Elena’s inspiring story in food safety, and ways you can become part of our welcoming and enriching Food Safety Community on LinkedIn.

In this episode:

💩 [01:12] Meet Elena and her work as a food safety sanitation professional

💩 [04:49] The sanitation staff for a manufacturing facility versus a warehouse

💩 [07:35] How to address the pain point of staffing your sanitation department

💩 [09:21] What makes chemicals pre-approved

💩 [10:56] How Francine got Savvy Food Safety, Inc. off the ground

💩 [12:34] Matt brings the food safety humor

💩 [14:12] Why Elena chose to work in the field of sanitation

💩 [20:21] The challenge of engaging people of all education levels

💩 [21:22] The one ability that will make you truly effective in your food safety job

💩 [24:25] Reviewing food safety books on LinkedIn

💩 [32:00] What Elena wants the next decade or two to look like for her career

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Join the Don’t Eat Poop team on Wed, Feb 26, at Noon EST for a special podcast event featuring food safety experts—Dr. Darin Detwiler, Matt Regusci, Bryan Armentrout, Tia Glave, Jill Stuber, and Francine L. Shaw! Attend the event here.

Follow Elena on LinkedIn to participate in the latest Book Giveaway and discover the next best read that will help you grow professionally.

To learn more about Tia Glave and Jill Stuber, catch up with Episode 36 | How to Create a Functional Food Safety Culture within Your Organization with Tia Glave and Jill Stuber from Catalyst.

Join Tia and Jill’s Catalyst Community Book Club here.

This episode is sponsored by Eagle Protect

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested!

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“You're never going to succeed at anything if you don't give it your 100%. So, in my free time, I'm reading books, I'm posting book reviews, I'm studying for certifications and honestly, I don't have a life. I eat, breathe, sleep, repeat food safety, and that's why I'm committed to helping others and want to give back and protect people in the process.” – Elena Montoya

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Elena, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.

🧤 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY Eagle Protect! 🧤

Did you know you can find fecal coliform on over 50% of gloves? It’s astounding to learn that many of the gloves coming into our country are contaminated. But Eagle Protect is changing that. 

They test every single lot of their Eagle Delta Zero™ gloves for microbial contamination.

This is a company truly committed to food safety. So please check them out at eagleprotect.com and get your gloves tested. Let’s not forget… Don’t eat poop!

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Jaclyn Bowen, the Executive Director of the Clean Label Project. Food toxicology is the next frontier of food safety, and it’s not just coming, it's already here.

That’s why we need to change and expand the definition of food safety from only protecting consumers from microbial and pathogen contaminants, to also minimizing our exposure to dangerous environmental contaminants and toxins in everyday consumer products.

Tune in to discover how Jaclyn Bowen and the Clan Label Project are bringing about this change, as well as what you need to know about heavy metals, pesticide residues, and packaging migration issues.

In this episode:

💩 [01:53] Meet Jaclyn Bowen from the Clean Label Project

💩 [03:22] The new frontier of food safety

💩 [04:40] Why Jaclyn got into food toxicology

💩 [06:24] Heavy metals are a problem, even if they’re naturally occurring

💩 [10:47] How best to inform consumers and provide trust in the food system

💩 [13:56] The realities of modern food safety pressures in a global society

💩 [15:56] Putting the proverbial regulatory cart in front of the science horse

💩 [18:01] California’s AB 899: what’s good and what could improve

💩 [21:41] Gerber’s Hawaiian Delight and other baby food (for adults too)

💩 [25:03] Heavy metals in protein powder and supplement regulations

💩 [29:55] The challenges of getting enough protein and some solutions

💩 [33:37] Complementing a healthy lifestyle with supplements

💩 [35:50] CLP’s call to action for consumers to make brands accountable

💩 [37:46] How heavy metal testing works and how shockingly cheap it is

💩 [40:54] Testing for 500 different pesticides for less than $400

💩 [41:56] COAs might be making brands more lenient

💩 [43:17] Ingredients that present a higher heavy metal risk

💩 [44:07] Levels of detection versus levels of quantification

💩 [46:59] Why brands aren’t investing in testing and how to change that

💩 [51:28] Where baby food suppliers that didn’t pass muster are going

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn more about the Clean Label Project at cleanlabelproject.org. 

Read Clean Label Project’s White Paper on Protein Powder.

If you want to learn more about the Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak mentioned in this episode, catch up with Episode 51 | Stanley Cups vs. Cinnamon Applesauce: Which Is More Likely To Give You Lead Poisoning?

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“ Trust [your suppliers] but verify. You don't have to have [a Clean Label Project] certification but recognize that the future of food safety is food toxicology. Heavy metals, pesticide residues, packaging migration issues are a modern food safety problem. And independent of CLP, it's a matter of doing your diligence in order to minimize the introduction of these contaminants for my family, as well as yours.” – Jaclyn Bowen

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

We'd love to hear from you!

📲 Connect with Jaclyn, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!

Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected.

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW!
Please take a few seconds to leave us a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. Each review helps us reach more listeners and spread this food safety message. Thank you for your support.