Helena Bottemiller Evich is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Food Fix. She previously led coverage of food and agriculture at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious George Polk Award for a series on climate change and two James Beard Awards for features on nutrition and science. In 2022, she was a James Beard Award finalist for a deep dive on diet-related diseases and COVID-19. Helena is also a sought-after speaker and commentator on food issues, appearing on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, NPR, and other outlets. Her work is widely cited in the media and has also been published in the Columbia Journalism Review and on NBC News.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Helena [2:58] about:

• The newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 and their much-debated details, such as their saturated fats advice and focus on "highly processed foods"
• Contention around the undecided definition for "ultra-processed foods" (UPFs), and what the use of "highly processed foods" instead of UPFs in the revised DGAs could imply
• The differences in FDA's structure and its unique challenges today (e.g., facing the 2025 infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart formula) versus 2022, during the Cronobacter sakazakii/Abbott Nutrition infant formula crisis and before the establishment of FDA's Human Foods Program
• The rise of "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA), from a grassroots movement to an official White House-backed agenda with bipartisan support, and the implications for the food space
• The question within the Trump Administration of whether MAHA rhetoric will translate into real policy changes that advance MAHA objectives
• Shortcomings of the MAHA approach to food safety policy and regulation, particularly a lack of focus on microbiological safety and inconsistent handling of chemical safety
• Why the MAHA agenda may not succeed with a deregulatory approach and a weakened federal workforce and resources
• How the Trump Administration's moves in 2026 may determine if MAHA will remain in the forefront of public discussion, moving forward.

News and Resources

Eat Real Food: New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Name and Shame 'Highly Processed Foods'

Food Fix

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Frank Yiannas, M.P.H. is a renowned food safety leader and executive, food system futurist, author, professor, past president of the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP), and advocate for consumers. Most recently, he served under two different administrations as the Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a position he held from 2018–2023, after spending 30 years in leadership roles with Walmart and the Walt Disney Company.

After retiring from FDA, Mr. Yiannas founded Smarter FY Solutions to help organizations address critical food safety and supply chain challenges. He also advises several well-known companies, offering consultancy services to modernize compliance strategies and ensure that clients meet regulatory requirements and industry standards. Throughout his career, Mr. Yiannas has been recognized for his role in strengthening food safety standards in new and innovative ways, as well as building effective food safety management systems based on modern, science-based, and tech-enabled prevention principles.

Drew McDonald is the Senior Vice President of Quality and Food Safety at Taylor Fresh Foods in Salinas, California, where he oversees the quality and food safety programs across the foodservice, retail, and deli operations under both FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) jurisdictions. Mr. McDonald works with an impressive team developing and managing appropriate and practical quality and food safety programs for fresh food and produce products. He has more than 30 years of experience in fresh produce and fresh foods.

Over the course of his career, Mr. McDonald has worked with growers and processors of fresh food and produce items across the globe. He currently serves on numerous food safety-related technical committees and has participated in the authorship of many produce safety articles and guidelines. He serves on the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board and is a former chair of the Center for Produce Food Safety's Technical Committee and United Fresh's Technical Council. Mr. McDonald received his education from Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

John Besser, Ph.D. worked for ten years as Deputy Chief of the Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he was involved in national and global programs to detect, characterize, and track gastrointestinal diseases. Prior to CDC, Dr. Besser led the infectious disease laboratory at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for 19 years and served as a clinical microbiologist at the University of Minnesota Hospital for five years. He currently works as an independent contractor and consultant. Dr. Besser is the author or co-author of more than 70 publications. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degree from the University of Minnesota.

Craig Hedberg, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota and Co-Director of the Minnesota Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence. He promotes public health surveillance as a prerequisite for effective food control, and his work focuses on improving methods for collaboration among public health and regulatory agencies, academic researchers, and industry to improve foodborne illness surveillance and outbreak investigations.

With a background in public health practice, Dr. Hedberg also focuses on public health workforce development and works with state, local, and tribal public health partners to build capacity for preparedness and emergency response. He is a member of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, the Minnesota Environmental Health Association, and IAFP. Dr. Hedberg holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and an M.S. degree in Environmental Health, both from the University of Minnesota.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mr. Yiannas, Mr. McDonald, Dr. Besser, and Dr. Hedberg [6:43] about:

• The increasing rate of food recalls issued by federal regulatory agencies, and what that might imply about the current systems for outbreak investigation and disease surveillance
• How federal and state public health agencies conduct foodborne illness outbreak investigations and the current success rates of these investigations
• Elements of the foodborne illness outbreak investigation process that are working well
• Potential areas for improvement for foodborne illness outbreak investigations and the metrics for "success"
• An idea for a National Foodborne Outbreak Investigation Board, similar to the model used for airlines with the National Transportation Safety Board, and how such a system might help improve food safety in the U.S.

Sponsored by:

Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program

We Want to Hear from You!

Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2025 and their implications. We cover:

The Trump Administration's impact on federal agencies overseeing food safety [7:52]:

• FDA, CDC Ordered to Temporarily Pause All External Communications, Obtain Trump Admin Approval
• RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary; Widespread Firings Coming to FDA, CDC
• USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong Dismissed by Trump Administration
• Brooke Rollins Confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture, Cites 'Aggressive Plan' to Eliminate USDA Jobs
• FDA Leader Jim Jones Resigns After 89 'Indiscriminate' Firings in Human Foods Program
• Attorney Kyle Diamantas Expected to Replace Jim Jones as FDA Deputy Commissioner of Human Foods
• FDA Spending Freeze Leaves Staffers Feeling 'Dangerously Unprepared' for Next Foodborne Illness Outbreak
• Federal Workforce Data Reveal Impact of Trump Admin RIFs on USDA Food Safety Expertise
• More Than 15,000 USDA Employees Take Trump Administration's Resignation Offer
• FDA Suspends Milk Quality Testing Amid Health and Human Services Cuts
• Entire Departments of CDC Outbreak Experts Fired, Rehired During Shutdown RIFs
• FDA Reportedly Reinstating Some Fired Food Safety Scientists, Inspection Support Staff
• Government Shutdown Affects Food Safety: HHS Furloughs Employees, FDA Pauses CORE Investigation Table
• Ep. 196. Dr. Lane Highbarger: How the FDA Workforce Cuts May Impact Food Safety
• Dozens of Prominent Food Safety Stakeholders Call for Reinstatement of NACMCF and NACMPI
• USDA Withdraws Proposed Regulatory Framework for Salmonella in Poultry After Years of Development
• USDA Indefinitely Delays Enforcement of Salmonella as Adulterant in Raw Breaded, Stuffed Chicken
• CDC Slashes FoodNet Surveillance From Eight Foodborne Pathogens to Two
• Public Health Professionals, Groups Demand Resignation of HHS Secretary RFK Jr.
• Trump-Appointed CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez Fired After Clashes With Secretary Kennedy
• RFK Jr.'s Second in Command Named CDC Acting Director Following Sudden Firing
• Federal Layoffs to Hit HHS Amid Government Shutdown, May Affect Food Safety Staffers
• FDA Delays FSMA 204 Traceability Rule Compliance Date by 30 Months

States and the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement declare war on "toxic" food chemicals and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) [27:52]:

• FDA Announces Plan to Phase Out Synthetic, Petroleum-Based Food Dyes From U.S. Food Supply
• Bonus Episode: Diamantas and Choiniere: FDA Focuses on Produce Safety, MAHA, Culture, and More
• MAHA Report Sets Stage for Overhaul of Food Chemicals, Environmental Contaminants, and Childhood Nutrition
• What the Final MAHA Report Could Mean for Food Safety
• FDA Announces 'Proactive' Post-Market Chemical Review Program to Keep Food Supply Safe
• FDA Adds Six Artificial Food Dyes to List of Chemicals Under Post-Market Review
• FDA to Issue Proposed Rule Tightening GRAS Oversight
• FDA's Developing Rule to Tighten GRAS Oversight Moves to White House
• FDA, USDA Issue Joint RFI to Address the Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods
• California Enacts Law Defining Ultra-Processed Foods, Will Ban UPFs in Schools
• Food Industry Stakeholders Share Input on FDA, USDA's Intent to Define UPFs
• MAHA Pushback Kills 'Big Food'-Aligned Legislative Effort to Stop State Food Laws
• Industry Giants Support New Coalition Aimed at Stopping MAHA-Aligned State Food Additive Bans
• More Than 80 Groups Urge Congress Not to Block State Food Additives Bans
• Ep. 187. Rainer and Coneski: Evolving Legislation Around Food Packaging Chemicals and Additives—Implications for Industry
• Ep. 199. George Misko: The Future of Food Regulation Under MAHA
• Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation
• Ep. 207. Brian Sylvester: Preparing for 'MAHA'-Driven Policy Changes on Food Dyes, UPFs, GRAS

FDA's focus on infant formula safety and the infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart formula [57:44]:

• FDA Publishes Long-Term Strategy to Increase Resiliency of U.S. Infant Formula Market
• FDA Launches 'Operation Stork Speed' to Improve Infant Formula Safety, Including Contaminant Testing
• Infants Nationwide Hospitalized With Botulism After Consuming ByHeart Formula
• ByHeart Outbreak Grows: 31 Infants in 15 States Hospitalized for Botulism From Tainted Formula
• Infant Botulism Spike Exceeds 100 Cases, Extent of ByHeart's Involvement Unclear
• A History of Food Safety Failures at ByHeart, the Formula Company Behind Infant Botulism Outbreak
• ByHeart Finds Widespread Contamination in Infant Formula as Botulism Outbreak Grows; FDA Publishes Inspection Reports
• Coalition Urges RFK Jr. to Fix Infant Formula Oversight Problems that Allowed Infant Botulism Outbreak
• FDA Urges Industry to Improve Recall Efficiency After Delay in Removing ByHeart Formula from Stores

Emerging science on Listeria monocytogenes and biofilms [1:08:26]:

• Study Shows Water Hoses as Reservoirs for Biofilms in Food Processing Facilities
• Study Demonstrates Listeria's Ability to Colonize, Survive in Preexisting Multispecies Biofilms
• First-of-its-Kind Study Shows How Listeria Strains Evolve Into Strong Biofilm Formers
• Study Explores Sanitizer Limitations Against Listeria Biofilms in Leafy Greens Production
• Listeria From Multispecies Biofilms More Prone to Growth in RTE Foods, Study Shows
• Study Shows Combining Antimicrobial Blue Light and Chemical Sanitizers Can Enhance Listeria Inactivation
• FAO/WHO Developing Risk Assessment Models for Listeria in Four Food Commodity Groups

The ongoing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (HPAI H5N1) outbreak in U.S. dairy cattle and poultry flocks and continued monitoring to ensure food safety [1:14:09]:

• California Declares State of Emergency Over HPAI H5N1 Outbreak in Dairy Cows
• USDA Begins Five-Part National Milk Testing Strategy for HPAI H5N1
• USDA Extends H5N1 Testing in Dairy Cattle; EU Releases Guidance on Avian Flu Prevention
• CDC: Avoid Consuming Raw Milk, as Risk of Bird Flu Infection is Low but Possible
• FDA-Backed Study Shows Aging Raw Milk Cheese Does Not Inactivate Avian Flu, but Low pH Helps
• Study Shows Avian Flu Does Not Pose Food Safety Risk in Various Pasteurized Dairy Products
• USDA to Invest in Farm Biosecurity, Chicken Vaccinations to Combat Avian Influenza
• Study Shows Acidification is Inexpensive, Easy Way to Inactivate Bird Flu in Raw Waste Milk
• FDA Now Requires Raw Pet Food Manufacturers to Consider HPAI in Food Safety Plans
• House Cat Dies After Eating Raw Pet Food Contaminated With HPAI H5N1
• FDA-Backed Study Shows Aging Raw Milk Cheese Does Not Inactivate Avian Flu, but Low pH Helps
• H5N1 and the Growing Risk to Food Safety—Why Raw Milk Requires Special Attention
• FDA Begins Testing Assignment for HPAI H5N1 in Aged Raw Cow Milk Cheese
• FAO Encourages All Countries to Monitor for HPAI H5N1 Spread to Cattle
• Dutch Field Studies Show Promise for Two Experimental Avian Flu H5N1 Vaccines
• Federal Workforce Data Reveal Impact of Trump Admin RIFs on USDA Food Safety Expertise

Growing artificial intelligence (AI) applications for food safety [1:17:57]:

• FAO Report Highlights Needs for Responsible AI Adoption in Food Safety Fields
• FDA Announces Completion of First AI-Assisted Scientific Review Pilot and Agency-Wide AI Rollout Timeline
• Using AI, Researchers Offer Promising Real-Time Mycotoxin Detection Method for Foods
• Big Data, AI, and the Coming Philosophical Challenges with Food Safety
• Welcome to the Machine: AI and Potential Implications for the Food Industry
• Ep. 193. Christian Ararat: A Global Perspective on Auditing, Certifications, AI, and Beyond
• Ep. 205. Black and Gabor: Digital Transformation and Emerging International Standards for Food Safety

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Brian P. Sylvester, J.D. is a Partner and Head of Food Regulatory in Morrison Foerster's FDA and Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, and is an influential thought leader and practitioner in food tech regulation. Brian counsels clients across the full lifecycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and fermentation-derived food ingredients, among others. He has been recognized by several legal industry awards and publications such as Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brian [35:44] about:

• State-level food additive regulatory developments since the passage of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023
• How the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement is shaping federal food additive and nutrition regulations
• Challenges and questions that arise from the growing number of state-level food regulations, including legality and constitutionality, implications for interstate commerce, and ensuring compliance
• Industry responses to FDA's push to phase out synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply
• California's recently passed legislation to establish a legal definition for ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and how it might affect a federally recognized UPF definition to be established in the future
• Practical recommendations for companies navigating the rapidly evolving U.S. regulatory landscape around food.

News and Resources

News

USDA Indefinitely Delays Enforcement of Salmonella as Adulterant in Raw Breaded, Stuffed Chicken [4:41]

Contamination in Infant Formula as Botulism Outbreak Grows; FDA Publishes Inspection Reports [18:38]

Unsolved German E. coli Outbreak Grows, Sickening Hundreds [28:52]

Codex Commission Adopts New International Food Standards at 48th Session [32:37]Codex Committee Discussions Held at CAC48 Cover Key Fishery Initiatives

Resources

Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

Jay Berglind is a nationally respected food safety expert and the principal of Aegis Foods, a consultancy focused on strengthening food safety systems across the supply chain. Aegis Foods is also the maker of Fearless Eggs, the only pasteurized in-shell and poached eggs that are safe to eat raw. With more than 25 years of experience in food manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance, Jay is a trusted voice on preventing foodborne illness, understanding federal regulations, and responding to product recalls.

Jay has served in leadership roles overseeing food safety and quality programs for major U.S. food manufacturers. His expertise spans U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection standards, Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and third-party audit preparation. Through Aegis Foods, he now advises clients on building proactive, recall-resistant systems that prioritize both consumer health and brand integrity.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jay [38:36] about:

• The history of Jay's career and how his experiences led to the creation of Fearless Eggs
• The science behind the pasteurization method used by Fearless Eggs and how it differs from traditional shell egg pasteurization, as well as Fearless Eggs' latest innovation, the in-shell poached egg
• How Fearless Eggs' pasteurization method inactivates Salmonella and other food safety hazards like avian influenza
• The process of working with FDA to get Fearless Eggs' pasteurization method approved
• The consumer trust built not only by Fearless Eggs' pasteurization, but also its prioritization of food safety
• Jay's perspective on the Trump Administration's resource and staffing cuts to FDA and the effect on consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply
• How Aegis and Fearless Eggs are helping move the entire industry toward safer egg products and food safety innovation
• Where to find Fearless Eggs products.

News and Resources

News

ByHeart Outbreak Grows: 31 Infants in 15 States Hospitalized for Botulism From Tainted Formula [4:29] ByHeart Formula Now Linked to 23 Infant Botulism Cases in 13 States Infants Nationwide Hospitalized With Botulism After Consuming ByHeart Formula

Regan-Udall Report Supports FDA Infant Formula Safety Efforts [16:16]

Analysis Shows FDA Foreign Facility Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Admin Cuts [23:02]

First-of-its-Kind Study Shows How Listeria Strains Evolve Into Strong Biofilm Formers [31:44]

FAO Report Highlights Needs for Responsible AI Adoption in Food Safety Fields [35:01]

Resources

Webinar: Dry Sanitation and Cleaning Techniques for Facilities and Equipment

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Tom Black is the First Assistant Secretary of the Exports and Veterinary Services Division at the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry. In this role, he is responsible for regulating and facilitating Australia's exports of animal commodities and certified organic products, while also providing the overarching technical food safety framework for both food exports and imports.

Tom leads the Australian Government's bilateral and multilateral technical market access negotiations for these commodities and represents Australia in international standard-setting forums, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He has over 20 years of experience in government and is currently the Australian delegate to the Codex Alimentarius Commission. He also serves as Chairperson of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS).

Gabor Molnar, Ph.D. is an Industrial Development Officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), technically leading UNIDO's food safety work. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Molnar designs and implements food safety capacity-building initiatives, mostly in Asia and Africa. He also represents UNIDO in various global forums, including the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Dr. Molnar is the main organizer of the Vienna Food Safety Forum (VFSF) and specializes in the domain of digitalization for food control and safety systems. Dr. Molnar holds a Ph.D. from Université Laval, as well as multiple master's degrees and certifications.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mr. Black and Dr. Molnar [32:51] about:

Emerging trends in international food safety standards and regulations, and how digitalization and AI are informing these trends

How regulators are incorporating emerging, global trends into the future of food safety

The experiences and responses of developing countries to emerging food safety guidelines and standards that are based on trends driven by industrialized nations, including challenges to and solutions for adoptions

CCFIC's focus areas related to food safety guidelines and best practices in the context of an increasingly digitalized world

The specifics and importance of UNIDO's work

UNIDO's new approach to food safety, "Food Safety 2.0," and how the organization works with countries and industry worldwide to implement this approach

The origins and history of the Vienna Food Safety Forum, who participates in the forum, and learnings from the 2025 forum

Potential dangers posed and questions raised by the growing application of AI in food safety work

A sneak peek at the 2027 Vienna Food Safety Forum.

News and Resources

News

Food Industry Stakeholders Share Input on FDA, USDA's Intent to Define UPFs [3:58]

Industry Giants Support New Coalition Aimed at Stopping MAHA-Aligned State Food Additive Bans, More Than 80 Groups Urge Congress Not to Block State Food Additives Bans [14:30]

Fast Food Employee Survey Reveals Serious Food Safety Problems, Pressures to Work While Sick [23:07]

Study Shows Water Hoses as Reservoirs for Biofilms in Food Processing Facilities [27:58]

Resources

Vienna Food Safety Forum

Vienna Food Safety Forum 2025 Concludes With a Call for Smarter, Inclusive Food Safety Systems Through Digitalization

Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)

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Kris Sollid, R.D., is the Senior Director for Research and Consumer Insights at the International Food Information Council (IFIC). A registered dietitian with a passion for improving nutrition science communications, his role at IFIC includes leading consumer research projects, educational resource development, social and traditional media engagement, and written contributions to various consumer, trade, and peer-reviewed publications.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Kris [1:20] about:

1. The methodology and key metrics of IFIC's 20th annual "Food and Health Survey," which found that consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply has hit a 13-year low
2. Specific beliefs driving consumers' declining confidence in U.S. food safety, including the perception of food corporations prioritizing profits over safety, as well as the perceived inadequacy of federal regulatory oversight of the food supply
3. Key findings from IFIC's supplemental "Americans' Perceptions of Food Recalls" survey
4. Whether consumer concerns about rising recall rates reflect reality, based on FDA and USDA recall data
5. How high-profile recalls associated with severe or far-reaching foodborne illness outbreaks may influence consumer perceptions about the number of recalls
6. Another IFIC supplemental survey on Americans' perceptions of FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) program, and what the results say about consumer confidence in food safety, as well as their GRAS awareness
7. The potential influence of U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s (RFK Jr.'s) "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement on consumer perceptions of food ingredient safety in the U.S. food supply and the federal government's responsibility for oversight.

Resources

2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus on Food & Nutrition

IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions of Food Recalls

IFIC Spotlight Survey: Americans' Perceptions of the U.S. FDA GRAS Program

Survey: Confidence in U.S. Food Safety Hits Record Low, Foodborne Pathogens Are Top Concern

John Spink, Ph.D. is the Director and Lead Instructor for the Food Fraud Prevention Academy, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the College of Business at Michigan State University (MSU). His food fraud prevention research focuses on policy and strategy to understand and prevent supply chain disruptions and to implement procurement best practices. He is widely published in leading academic journals and has helped lead national and global regulatory and standards activity. More recently, his teaching and research has expanded to supply chain disruption management and procurement best practices.

Roy Fenoff, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The Military College of South Carolina (The Citadel). He is also a Forensic Handwriting and Document Examiner and an expert in forgery detection. Dr. Fenoff specializes in forgery and document fraud, food fraud and protection, and transnational crime.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Drs. Spink and Fenoff [33:30] about:

• Their recurring workshop and certificate course for the annual Food Safety Summit on food fraud prevention
• What makes food fraud an urgent and misunderstood issue
• The intersections between food safety and food fraud
• Different ways to check for, catch, and trace food fraud
• The elements of a comprehensive food fraud vulnerability assessment
• Focus areas for companies trying to develop a deep enough understanding of their supply chains and end products to prevent food fraud from occurring
• How to implement a food fraud prevention strategy and management system, which is taught during Drs. Spink and Fenoff's annual Food Safety Summit course, and how course participants respond to and have applied these teachings within their companies
• What Drs. Spink and Fenoff find both meaningful and challenging about their food fraud prevention and research work.

News and Resources

News

Color Manufacturers Sue West Virginia Over 'Unconstitutional' Food Dye Ban [7:08]

California Enacts Law Defining Ultra-Processed Foods, Will Ban UPFs in Schools [14:40]

Reagan-Udall Report Explores Strengthening Cross-Sector Responses to Food Safety Threats [23:09]

Novel Salmonella Vaccine Shows Promise in Clinical Trial [28:57]

Resources

"Ultraprocessed Nation" in the New York Times' October 20, 2025 "The Morning" newsletter

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

David T. Dyjack, Dr.P.H., CIH has served as Executive Director and CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) since May 2015. Dr. Dyjack's 30-year career includes expertise in environmental health, emergency preparedness and response, public health informatics, infectious disease, workforce development, governmental infrastructure, maternal and child health, health equity, and chronic disease. A board-certified industrial hygienist, Dr. Dyjack also has advanced degrees in public health with a doctorate from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the University of Utah.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Dyjack [36:33] about:

• Which demographics may make up the future food safety workforce, based on NEHA data, and what professional support they may need
• How the learning preferences of younger generations are shaping current education and training initiatives for the food safety sector
• Shifting priorities at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and their potential influence on the future food safety workforce
• Industry's role in attracting and educating the future food safety workforce, and how NEHA works with industry to help realize these goals
• The work of NEHA's Food Safety Committee to help address food safety workforce training gaps and emerging challenges
• Who can benefit from NEHA's food safety courses and certificate programs
• The need for additional emergency preparedness training to mitigate food safety risks associated with increasing and more severe natural disasters brought on by climate change.

News and Resources

Government Shutdown Affects Food Safety: HHS Furloughs Employees, FDA Pauses CORE Investigation Table, Federal Layoffs to Hit HHS Amid Government Shutdown, May Affect Food Safety Staffers [3:08]

Another Death Reported in Listeria Outbreak Linked to Prepared Pasta Meals [8:09]

FDA Reveals Unsolved E. Coli Outbreak in New Foodborne Illness Outbreak Transparency Tools [16:19]

Fruit, Salmonella Caused Most Multistate Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in 2023, per CDC [19:16]

Four-Year UK Foodborne Pathogen Surveillance Program Concludes, FSA to Launch New Initiative [23:47]

USDA-FSIS Now Includes Gluten in Major Allergen Verification Activities [29:51]

Sponsored by:

Michigan State University Online Food Safety

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

Kathy Knutson, Ph.D., PCQI, is educated in bacteriology, food science, and education. She speaks, writes, and trains on compliance for the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). She has trained over 500 Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQIs). Dr. Knutson works with managers to write thorough hazard analyses, food safety plans, recall plans, environmental monitoring programs, and allergen programs. In 2020, she published a book, Food Safety Lessons for Cannabis-Infused Edibles. Dr. Knutson travels to manufacturers for swabbing to locate a pathogen during recall investigations and for gap assessments of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Knutson [30:14] about:

• Which variables are important to consider when designing an environmental monitoring program (EMP)
• The importance of controlling the quality and movement of air and water in a facility
• Actions for preventing foot traffic from bringing in and spreading pathogens
• How a strong sanitation program contributes to a robust EMP
• How to verify sanitation through sampling and record-keeping, which includes having written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and swabbing protocols informed by hygienic zoning
• The capabilities and responsibilities of a well-trained and educated EMP team.

News and Resources

News

What the Final MAHA Report Could Mean for Food Safety [3:36]FDA to Issue Proposed Rule Tightening GRAS Oversight

Public Health Professionals, Groups Demand Resignation of HHS Secretary RFK Jr. [20:58]

Protein Processing Act Would Lift Pork, Poultry Line Speed Limits if Food Safety Criteria Are Met [24:19]

Resources

Challenges for Evaluation of Your Environmental Monitoring Program

Ep. 157. Dr. Kathy Knutson: Food Safety Considerations and Regulations for Cannabis-Infused Edibles

Sponsored by:

IFC

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]