Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of food safety culture consultancy Cultivate, has dedicated the last 15 years of her life to bettering food manufacturing operations and studying how culture affects food safety performance. She holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety and has created a network of worldwide collaborators within the food supply chain. After 11 years with Maple Leaf Foods—including an uphill battle to regain consumer trust following the 2008 tragedy that killed 23 people—Dr. Jespersen’s life purpose shifted. At the time, she was in charge of food safety and operations learning strategies. After much introspection, questioning, and scrutiny, Dr. Jespersen led the relaunch and execution of Maple Leaf Foods' food safety and operations learning strategies, transforming the company’s food safety culture from the inside out.

Carol Wallace, Ph.D., is a Professor of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), Co-Director of the Nutritional Sciences and Applied Food Safety Studies Group, and the Research Lead for the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the UK. Dr. Wallace holds a Ph.D. from UCLan and a B.Sc. degree in Microbiology from the University of Glasgow. Her research interests include food safety performance from farm to fork, in particular Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system effectiveness and food safety culture, causal factors in food outbreaks and incidents, and controlling food safety risk in business and the home. Dr. Wallace was instrumental in setting up the Salus Food Safety Culture Science Group, an academic network to explore and share knowledge about the emergent food safety culture field, in 2015, and she serves as its current Chair. She regularly presents at and organizes conference symposia in the areas of food safety management and culture. Dr. Wallace is also widely published in the field of food safety and is an author and co-author of several best-selling textbooks guiding industry on HACCP and FSMS.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Jespersen and Dr. Wallace [34:58] about:

• Why the prevalent mindset around food safety and HACCP within organizations leads to 37 percent of frontline employees following protocols improperly, and how change management can be leveraged to individualize food safety
• The definition of “nudging,” its role in incrementally improving an organization’s food safety culture over time, and examples of nudging in action
• How collaboration between academics and industry can elevate the concept of food safety culture through scientific validation
• Strategies for achieving buy-in from leadership regarding food safety culture
• The importance of enhancing visibility, creating accountability, and encouraging an atmosphere of teamwork in a food business when nudging improvements to food safety culture, and how such goals can be achieved
• How a company can begin influencing and monitoring frontline employee behavior to improve food safety culture by tapping into managers
• How companies can implement and emphasize reward and recognition to improve food safety culture
• The importance of promoting a culture that transcends the technical aspects of food safety.

This episode of Food Safety Matters also features an interview [24:34] with Zach Ducheneaux, who was appointed Administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (USDA’s FSA) in February 2021. Zach discusses FSA’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program, providing specifics on assistance eligibility, types of expenses covered by reimbursements, and recommended food safety certifications.

News and Resources

FDA Announces Vision for Restructuring Human Foods Program, ORA [3:52] Frank Yiannas to Resign as FDA’s Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response [13:19] DOJ Criminally Investigates Abbott Nutrition After Fatal Outbreak Linked to Infant Formula [17:37] FDA Sets Action Levels for Lead in Baby Foods as Part of Closer to Zero Initiative [22:25]

Watch the “Using Frontline Feedback to Nudge Food Safety Culture Improvements” recording on-demand!

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TOMI SteraMist

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Adam Friedlander is a Policy Analyst in FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) Network, where he helps lead the agency’s efforts to advance strategic, tech-enabled traceability initiatives under the New Era of Smarter Food Safety. Through collaboration and by leveraging the power of data, he hopes to help transform the food system to become more digital, transparent, and safe for consumers around the world. Adam graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in Food Science and Operations Management and a minor in Music. He received his M.S. degree in Regulatory Affairs of Food and Food Industries from Northeastern University.

Joseph (Joe) Lasprogata is a longtime seafood veteran with over 30 years in the industry. His love and passion started with his degree in Marine Biology, which took him to several corners of the world to source the best and most unique seafood available, assisting top chefs with menu development, and helping introduce, develop, and distribute over 30 million pounds of seafood annually. As Vice President of New Product Development at Samuels Seafood, he works directly with producers, aquaculture, and multiple non-governmental organizations to introduce new products and develop successful brands. Joe has a true appreciation and unique insight to the seafood industry and its potential upcoming challenges. Most recently, he developed a digital traceability system to comply with both FDA shellfish regulations and the newly instituted Food Traceability Final Rule, FSMA Section 204.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Adam and Joe [17:49] about:

• How the Food Traceability Final Rule will work, and why FDA estimates that it will speed up foodborne illness outbreak investigations by 80 percent
• Certain questions and concerns that industry may have for FDA regarding the execution of the Food Traceability Final Rule
• The digital traceability system that Samuels Seafood developed to comply with both the FDA National Shellfish Sanitation Program and the Food Traceability Final Rule
• FDA’s emphasis that the Traceability Rule defines for industry what records to keep, rather than how industry should keep those records
• FDA’s plan to create a product tracing system to allow information to be provided to FDA in a secure way
• Perceived gaps in awareness about the Food Traceability Final Rule within the seafood industry
• Benefits to traceability that could encourage industry to voluntarily adopt the standards set by the Final Food Traceability Rule, even for companies that produce foods not included on the Food Traceability List (FTL)
• The nuances and possible challenges of the Food Traceability Final Rule that industry may wish to see addressed by FDA, and specific challenges that the rule may present for the seafood industry
• FDA’s vision for traceability efforts to be widely adopted and harmonized
• The resources offered by FDA’s Technical Assistance Network, which exists to provide answers to industry on FSMA inquiries.

This episode of Food Safety Matters also features an interview [40:18] with Rob Clark and John McPherson of rfxcel to discuss FSMA 204 and where to get guidance on how it may affect your operations and how to get started. Powered by rfxcel technology, Antares Vision Group provides a unified end-to-end supply chain platform, facilitating digitalization of supply chains.

Resources

FDA Issues FSMA Food Traceability Final Rule, Holds Briefing FDA’s FSMA Technical Assistance Network

Presenting Sponsor:

Antares Vision Group, powered by rfxcel technology

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Trevor Craig is the Corporate Director of Technical Training and Consulting at Microbac Laboratories. He is responsible for the direction of Microbac’s food testing, consulting with food manufacturers across the country to help decision-makers optimize their businesses from lab to production to sale. He has been working in the food industry for more than 15 years. He previously worked at other large labs across the country on hundreds of different projects and product types, conducting shelf life, accelerated, and challenge studies for each lab. Trevor’s first role in the industry involved working for an ingredients company with applications to food and agriculture, including antimicrobials used for shelf stability.

Microbac Laboratories helps clients manage food quality and safety risks to protect consumers and their brands. The company’s industry expertise and analytical strength supports food safety programs for compliance with FSMA regulations. Microbac Laboratories serves all food industry segments with services to meet unique needs. Microbac Laboratories offers numerous food testing services including allergen detection, nutrition testing and labeling, GMO analysis, ingredient authenticity, molecular testing, Cyclospora testing, and environmental monitoring.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Trevor Craig [1:48] about:

• The definition of sell-by and use-by dates on food packaging, their purpose, and when their use is required
• Why shelf life and expiration dates help ensure food quality as much as food safety
• The difference between shelf life testing and routine product quality testing, and why companies should be conducting both
• How Microbac Laboratories conducts shelf life testing with a tailored approach for each product to ensure that shelf life is determined correctly
• How Microbac uses accelerated studies to determine the shelf life of long-term, shelf-stable products
• The difference between a shelf life, accelerated, and challenge study, and how the data is evaluated and applied to help ensure FSQ.

Resources:Free webinar recording of Microbac and Trevor Craig’s Get a Grip on Food Shelf Life & Challenge Studies

Shelf Life at Microbac

Sponsored by:Microbac

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John Gurrisi, R.E.H.S., is Vice President of Food Safety and Quality (FSQ) at Fresh Express. He has broad food safety responsibility for growing, manufacturing, new product assessment, customer collaboration, supplier management, and regulatory compliance. He leads a multidisciplinary food safety and quality team covering the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and directs a multimillion-dollar implementation and investment budget.

John holds numerous industry-critical food safety certifications and has contributed his technical expertise to wide-ranging industry initiatives. He serves as an active contributor to the Center for Produce Safety’s Technical Committee and the International Fresh Produce Association’s Food Safety Council, and is past Vice Chair and Executive Board Member of the Conference for Food Protection.

Prior to joining Fresh Express, John led global fresh produce food safety and quality initiatives for Darden Restaurants, a premier full-service dining company with over 1,800 locations worldwide.

German Rios is the Senior Director of FSQ for Fresh Express. He is responsible for food safety and quality assurance in growing, manufacturing, new product development, and customer collaboration. From a food safety standpoint, he manages the Fresh Express raw partner product program and ingredient suppliers, encompassing the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. In addition, German guides Fresh Express raw product suppliers on an ongoing basis, and leads the Fresh Express raw product growing and harvesting strategy in Central Mexico.

German graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Crop Science degree. Throughout his career, German has had the opportunity to work in many different segments of the Fresh Express salad business including manufacturing, research and development, and agricultural operations.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with John and German [18:37] about:

• The various technical verification activities conducted by Fresh Express to ensure that food safety standards are upheld by growers that are partnered with the company
• Fresh Express’ video series that highlights the company’s food safety initiatives, such as continuous education and training for employees
• How Fresh Express embodies FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety by using technology to enable traceability and monitor its food safety procedures
• Ways in which Fresh Express continuously adapts its HACCP plans, and how the company communicates HACCP knowledge to employees by making sure food safety is always “on the agenda” for discussion
• The history of how Fresh Express became one of the first companies to create an FSQ program for produce crops, and how it has evolved over time to consider emerging hazards such as Cyclospora
• The complex inner workings of Fresh Express’ traceability system, which uses scanners and radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging to provide real-time information about all raw materials used in the company’s products
• How Fresh Express ensures microbial food safety through hygienic design and environmental monitoring at its Morrow, Georgia facility
• How Fresh Express’ sampling and testing activities for growers have prepared the company to comply with FDA’s revised agricultural water requirements under the Produce Safety Rule.

News and Resources

FDA Releases 2022 Food Code [3:12] Sustainable Organic Acid an Effective Disinfectant against Foodborne Pathogens, Biofilm [7:08] EFSA Determines Plastic Produced by Poly Recycling is Food Safe [9:45] Senate Confirms Esteban as USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety [13:31] Experts Call for Greater Collaboration, Funding for “Closer to Zero” Efforts [14:14]

Food Safety Summit Register using discount code FSM23Podcast for 10% off!

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Jovana Kovacevic, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Food Safety Extension Specialist at Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center (OSU’s FIC) in Portland, Oregon. In her current role, Dr. Kovacevic directs the food safety program at FIC and the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Her research uses molecular methods and whole genome sequencing to trace, better understand, and prevent contamination events in the food chain, with particular focus on Listeria monocytogenes. Her work with the Western Regional Center supports the Western U.S. region in food safety training, education, and outreach activities related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Prior to joining OSU, Dr. Kovacevic held various positions, including a lecturer at the University of British Columbia, a food safety consultant with the British Columbia Ministry of Health, and a Food Safety Scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Canada.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jovana [4:19] about:

• The work at OSU’s FIC to advance food safety, including the development of outreach materials related to FSMA
• How industry informs what topics are researched at FIC
• The best strategies for mitigating pervasive strains of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing facilities, according to Dr. Kovacevic's research
• The importance of defining clear goals for an environmental monitoring program
• The factors that make monocytogenes problematic for produce
• How monocytogenes develops tolerance to sanitizers and the implications of this challenge
• Kovacevic's perspective on trends in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among L. monocytogenes and other pathogens
• The background of the Western Regional Center to Enhance Food Safety, and how the Center develops trainings for FSMA-related workshops
• The need to translate new technologies into tools that will help industry mitigate food safety risks.

News and Resources

2023 Food Safety Summit Digital Brochure

Sponsored by:

Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program

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

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we review the top food safety stories of 2022 and their impacts, the lessons learned, and what the future may hold for 2023 and beyond. Specifically, we discuss:

• COVID-19 and the resulting supply chain disruptions
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Agricultural Water Proposed Rule, also known as Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• Food safety culture, a key topic of discussion at the 2022 Food Safety Summit (as well as the 2023 Summit to be held next May)
• The infant formula Cronobacter recall and resulting supply crisis
• USDA-FSIS' proposed regulatory framework for reducing Salmonella in poultry
• FDA’s issuance of the Food Traceability Final Rule under FSMA Section 204(d)
• The Reagan-Udall Foundation’s review of FDA’s Human Foods Program.

News and Resources

COVID-19 and supply chain [3:56]

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8041-supply-chain-management-a-year-in-review

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7478-supply-chain-woes-what-is-at-stake-and-what-will-change

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7943-focusing-aheadprocessors-priorities-for-the-near-term

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7670-supply-chain-recoveryprocessors-speak-out

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7816-the-return-to-normalready-to-travel-again

Agricultural water rule [16:03]

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7959-ep-125-dr-conrad-choiniere-moving-closer-to-zero-through-collaboration

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-proposed-rule-agricultural-water

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7890-fda-extends-deadlines-for-agricultural-water-proposed-rule

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7606-fda-debuts-agricultural-water-assessment-builder

Food safety culture [21:07]

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8211-current-knowledge-on-food-safety-culture-according-to-fda

https://www.fda.gov/media/163588/download

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7738-fss-2022-keynote-commitment-and-collaboration-in-food-safety-culture

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7824-free-food-safety-culture-toolkit-by-stop-foodborne-illness

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7750-fda-stop-foodborne-illness-co-host-third-webinar-on-food-safety-culture

Cultivate:

https://www.food-safety.com/events/533-one-size-fits-how-to-adapt-your-food-safety-culture-efforts-to-functional-ways-of-working

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7804-changing-culture-to-improve-food-safety

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7562-using-lean-tools-to-transform-your-food-safety-culture

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7479-introduction-to-global-food-safety-culture

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7560-global-food-safety-culture-europe

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7681-regional-culture-australia

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7818-global-food-safety-culture-asia

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7946-global-food-safety-culture-north-america

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8054-global-food-safety-culture-latin-america

Catalyst LLC:

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7944-food-safety-culture-start-with-your-teams-well-being

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7904-ep-123-tia-glave-jill-stuber-coaching-fsq-leaders-to-drive-positive-change-in-culture

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7514-lights-camera-action-stepping-into-the-main-character-role-as-fsq-leader

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7563-maturity-in-food-safety-culture-at-any-size

Infant formula recall [34:48]

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8042-ep-130-kim-livsey-leading-a-food-safety-incident-management-team

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7564-fda-issues-warning-on-powdered-infant-formula-produced-by-abbott-nutrition

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7744-fda-allows-abbott-nutrition-to-resume-production-releases-industry-guidance

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7830-senate-mandates-fda-to-ensure-infant-formula-safety-supply

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8007-fda-releases-review-of-response-to-infant-formula-supply-crisis-addresses-improvements

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8137-fda-prevention-strategy-to-enhance-infant-formula-food-safety-supports-elevating-cronobacter-infection-to-nationally-notifiable-disease

USDA-FSIS and Salmonella in poultry [47:50]

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8209-episode-134-sandra-eskin-how-usda-fsis-is-tackling-emsalmonella-em-in-poultry

 https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7915-usda-fsis-declares-salmonella-an-adulterant-in-breaded-stuffed-raw-chicken-products

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8064-usda-fsis-proposed-regulatory-framework-for-reducing-salmonella-in-poultry-may-declare-salmonella-an-adulterant

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8043-continuous-improvement-model-for-reducing-salmonella-in-poultry

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7939-a-critical-look-at-reducing-the-risk-of-salmonella-from-poultrypart-1

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8029-spotlight-a-critical-look-at-reducing-the-risk-of-salmonella-from-poultrypart-2

Traceability [56:58]

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/21/2022-24417/requirements-for-additional-traceability-records-for-certain-foods

https://www.food-safety.com/events/604-fda-s-tech-enabled-traceability-new-standards-to-improve-food-system-transparency

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8139-fda-issues-fsma-food-traceability-final-rule-holds-briefing

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7739-fss-2022-building-a-blueprint-for-tech-enabled-traceability

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8160-the-need-for-greater-traceability-and-transparency-in-the-food-supply-chain

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7628-new-pti-working-group-aims-to-enhance-traceability-through-technology

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7685-summary-of-produce-traceability-best-practices

Reagan-Udall Foundation Review [1:06:10]

https://reaganudall.org/sites/default/files/2022-12/Human%20Foods%20Program%20Independent%20Expert%20Panel%20Final%20Report%20120622.pdf

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-provides-update-external-evaluation-strengthen-agencys-human-foods-program

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/8184-independent-review-guides-a-new-vision-for-fda-human-foods-program

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7894-fda-to-evaluate-human-foods-program

https://www.food-safety.com/articles/7992-experts-to-review-fda-human-foods-program-announced

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

Sandra Eskin was appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in March 2021. In this role, Sandra leads the Office of Food Safety, overseeing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which has regulatory oversight for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.

Prior to joining USDA, Sandra was the Project Director for Food Safety at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C. for over 10 years, and also served as the Deputy Director of the Produce Safety Project (PSP) from 2008–2009, a Pew-funded initiative at Georgetown University. Prior to The Pew Charitable Trusts, Sandra spent nearly 20 years as a public policy consultant to numerous consumer advocacy and public interest organizations, providing strategic and policy advice on food and drug safety, labeling, and advertising. She has served as a member of multiple federal advisory committees related to consumer information on prescription drugs, meat and poultry safety, and foodborne illness surveillance.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Sandra [31:22] about:

• Knowledge gaps in understanding why salmonellosis rates have not decreased, despite a reduction in Salmonella found in chicken samples
• Challenges USDA-FSIS faced in trying to meet its Healthy People 2020 and 2010 targets, and why the agency is targeting Salmonella reduction in poultry for Healthy People 2030
• How USDA-FSIS’ Proposed Regulatory Framework to Reduce Salmonella Illnesses Attributable to Poultry incentivizes industry to meet pre-harvest intervention requirements and follow best practices
• USDA-FSIS’ plan for educating industry about a standardized, statistical approach to process control under the proposed framework
• The potential of naming certain Salmonella serotypes as adulterants under the proposed framework, the serotypes of concern, and what oversight of adulterated product might entail
• How necessity will drive innovation to develop rapid, accurate, and affordable methods for quantification-based testing, in compliance with the proposed framework
• Feedback that USDA-FSIS has received from stakeholders on the proposed framework, and how the agency is planning to address stakeholder concerns
• The relationship between USDA-FSIS’ declaration of Salmonella as an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products and the broader proposed framework
• How USDA-FSIS might measure the efficacy of and fine-tune its approach to mitigating Salmonella illnesses linked to poultry.

This episode of Food Safety Matters also features an interview [21:24] with Vikrant Dutta, D.V.M, Ph.D., Head of Scientific Affairs at bioMérieux. Vik has worked at bioMérieux for more than six years, having previously held the position of Senior Microbiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his doctorates in Veterinary Medicine and Microbiology from North Carolina State University, and has been working in food safety for more than 15 years.

News and Resources

FDA Prevention Strategy to Enhance Infant Formula Food Safety Supports Elevating Cronobacter Infection to Nationally Notifiable Disease [4:00] EU Court Annuls Classification of Titanium Dioxide as a Carcinogen [7:44] FDA Evaluates First Cell-Based Meat Products, Raises No Food Safety Concerns; Believes Cultured Meat Ready for Market in Near Future [10:28] Changes Coming Soon to USDA-FSIS Testing, Sampling for E. Coli, Salmonella in Beef [15:10]

EU to Ban Titanium Dioxide in Food from Mid-2022 Webinar: FDA's Tech-Enabled Traceability—New Standards to Improve Food System Transparency

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Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D. is the Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness. She has a diverse background in food safety and sustainability, with a focus on environmental exposures across the food system. Dr. Coffman has conducted various research for the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on topics such as farming opportunities in post-war Sierra Leonne, occupational and residential exposures from large pork production operations in rural North Carolina, and the association between nitrate in drinking water from food animal operations and fetal health outcomes. Dr. Coffman previously worked at Stop Foodborne Illness as a policy analyst, and she has testified in front of U.S. government officials, authored peer-reviewed papers, and helped draft federal regulations.

Dr. Coffman received a Ph.D. in Environmental Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an M.S. degree from the University of California–Berkeley in Global Public Health and the Environment.

Sherry Brice-Williamson, M.B.A. is the Vice President of Global Quality and Food Safety at the Kellogg Company, where she oversees end-to-end food safety and quality for Kellogg's internal and external network. Sherry has over 20 years of experience in the industry and joined Kellogg in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from P&G. She has served in numerous supply chain roles in the company, ranging from operations to quality. Sherry was promoted to Vice President of Global Food Safety and Quality in January 2020.

Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other industry associations such as Stop Foodborne Illness, where she is an Alliance member. Sherry also co-chairs the national chapter of KAARG (Kellogg African American Resource Group). Sherry holds B.S. and M.B.A. degrees in Business Management and is a member of the Golden Key International National Honors Society.

Megan Kenjora, M.P.A. is the Senior Manager of Food Safety Culture at The Hershey Company, where she leads a diverse global team to embed food safety in the hearts and minds of all Hershey employees. Megan has extensive experience building relationships among diverse groups, getting cross-functional support, and effectively communicating messages across cultures.

Megan was an engaged member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Technical Working Group that authored the GFSI position paper, “A Culture of Food Safety,” and served as the inaugural chair of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Food Safety Culture Professional Development Group. Bringing a passion for food safety culture, she currently serves on the planning committee and numerous working groups as part of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness.

A combat veteran who served eight years in the U.S. Army, Megan came to Hershey in 2014 from Raytheon, where she specialized in adult learning for various intelligence courses. She is a lifelong learner and an advocate for DEI, serving as a co-lead for the Hershey Veterans Business Resource Group. Megan is an M.B.A. candidate at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, and she holds an M.P.A. from Penn State University, B.A. degrees in Political Science and Classics from Bucknell University, and a Korean linguist certification from the Defense Language Institute.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Vanessa, Sherry, and Megan [25:40] about:

• The history of Stop Foodborne Illness and the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, and how the Alliance leverages food safety culture as a vehicle for positive change in the food industry to make food safer for consumers
• The ways in which Megan’s experience at Hershey informs the Alliance’s work, such as bringing a proactive perspective to industry engagement and encouraging the adoption of best practices
• How Kellogg’s and Hershey’s memberships in the Alliance have helped both companies drive sustainable food safety cultures through collaboration and knowledge-sharing
• The resources included in Stop Foodborne Illness’ Food Safety Culture Toolkit, which is tailored for small- and medium-sized businesses
• How the Alliance’s work, such as advocacy for recall modernization, is steered by the needs and expertise of its members
• Why it is important for industry to understand the crucial need for food safety, and how resources such as video messaging and gamification frameworks can support that understanding
• The importance of clear and effective food safety communication from upper management, and how the Food Safety Culture Toolkit aids this objective
• The ways in which Sherry and Megan have established successful communication practices within their organizations to encourage robust food safety cultures.

News and Resources

Poisoned—Book on Prominent Foodborne Illness Outbreak—Getting New Edition, Netflix Documentary [2:08] FDA Submits FSMA Traceability Final Rule Ahead of New Era of Smarter Food Safety Webinar [7:26] 2020 Estimates Released: Food Types Associated with E. Coli, Salmonella, Listeria Foodborne Illness Outbreaks [14:46] Trust, Transparency Focus of Maple Leaf Foods' 12th Annual Food Safety Symposium [20:12]

Ep. 128. Bill Marler: Perspectives on Poisoned and Food Safety Progress FSMA Proposed Rule for Food Traceability (FDA) Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Estimates for 2020 for Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157, and Listeria monocytogenes using Multi-Year Outbreak Surveillance Data, United States (CDC)

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David W.K. Acheson, M.D., F.R.C.P., is the President and CEO of The Acheson Group, a consulting firm that provides strategic advice on all matters relating to food safety and food defense, as well as recall and crisis management support, to food companies and ancillary technology companies around the world.

Prior to founding The Acheson Group in 2013, Dr. Acheson served as the Chief Medical Officer in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA's CFSAN). Following several other positions at FDA, he was appointed Associate Commissioner for Foods, which gave him an agency-wide leadership role for all food and feed issues, including health promotion and nutrition. Dr. Acheson was also a partner at Leavitt Partners and managed Leavitt Partners Global Food Safety Solutions from 2009 to 2013.

Dr. Acheson graduated from the University of London Medical School in 1980. Following training in internal medicine and infectious diseases in the UK, in 1987 he moved to the New England Medical Center and Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. As an Associate Professor at Tufts University, Dr. Acheson undertook basic molecular pathogenesis research on foodborne pathogens, especially Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with David [28:53] about:

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service’s (USDA’s FSIS’) declaration of Salmonella as an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products, as well as future federal regulation of Salmonella contamination of poultry
• Considerations that could affect the way in which Salmonella in poultry is regulated, such as different serotypes and the risk they pose to public health
• The importance of FDA clearly defining for growers what compliance with the agricultural water rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) entails
• The various, nuanced factors that must be decided in order to adequately regulate ingestible Cannabis products
• How the federal legal status of Cannabis may hamper foodborne illness reporting and outbreak investigations related to edible Cannabis products
• Why more effective consumer communication would improve the food recall system, and how recall modernization can achieve that goal
• How food companies can prepare themselves to meet increasingly stringent aflatoxin regulations—or regulations for any contaminant—through risk assessment, and why regulatory bodies should holistically consider the ramifications of regulations before implementing them
• Possible avenues that companies and regulatory agencies can take when considering how to reduce human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from foods
• How chemical residues in foods have been neglected in comparison to microbiological contaminants, and why it is crucial to build scientific understanding around the public health risk of different chemical contaminants.

News and Resources

USDA-FSIS Proposed Regulatory Framework for Reducing Salmonella in Poultry May Declare Salmonella an Adulterant [3:18] More Research Needed on Exposure To, Toxicity of Microplastics in Food [7:18]International Organizations Develop One Health Action Plan, Food Safety is Key Component [12:18] WHO Launches Global Strategy for Food Safety 2022–2030 [13:08] Edible Sensor for Frozen Food Safety Indicates When Products Have Been Thawed, Refrozen [18:45]

Webinar: FDA's Tech-Enabled Traceability—New Standards to Improve Food System Transparency FSIS Proposed Regulatory Framework Microplastics Found in Human Breast Milk for the First Time Former Kerry Inc. Manager Pleads Guilty in Connection with Insanitary Plant Conditions Linked to 2018 Salmonella Poisoning Outbreak CDC: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka Infections Linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal (Final Update)

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Michael Cramer started his food career with Swift and Company at a turkey processing facility in eastern Pennsylvania while attending West Chester University. He graduated in 1977 with a B.S. degree in Health Education. During his career with Swift and Company, he was Quality Assurance (QA) Manager at plants in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, a Production Specialist, and a Documentation Manager at the corporate headquarters.

In 1993, Michael started with Specialty Brands Inc. in Ontario, Canada, where he was Director of Food Safety and Quality. He spent 27 years with the company, and remained as Senior Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) through the purchase by Ajinomoto Foods North America Inc. He developed and implemented programs to ensure production of safe, quality, ethnic frozen foods. Mike retired from Ajinomoto Foods in July 2021.

Mike has been a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and was part of the FSQA team at Ajinomoto Foods that won the prestigious Black Pearl Award in 2020. In addition to authoring Food Plant Sanitation, he is also on the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine and has written articles for Food Safety Magazine dealing with Listeria control, biosecurity, sanitation and sanitary design, and allergens. He was also a contributing member of the American Frozen Foods Institute (AFFI) Listeria Working Group. In addition, he has participated in multiple Food Safety Matters podcasts, conducted food sanitation webinars, and has been a presenter at numerous food safety and quality conferences. He remains active in retirement, giving back to the industry.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mike [18:25] about:

• What led him to write and publish Food Plant Sanitation and its two subsequent versions, and how the third edition touches on real-life experiences with the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA) in sanitation
• The difference between validation and verification, and what those concepts look like in sanitation
• Guidelines, including regulations and directives for FSQA professionals, for designing effective sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs)
• Why FSQA personnel should spend time on the sanitation shift and have conversations with chemical suppliers, testing labs, colleagues at other plants, and consultants
• Trade associations and publications that can be beneficial resources to FSQA professionals
• Mike's experience developing a robust FSQA culture by aligning sanitarians’ purpose, using cross-functional teams, and getting leaders to buy into and understand FSQA
• The difference behind “consumers” and “customers” from an FSQA point of view
• The importance of relationship-building, flexibility, and communication with FSQA staff to ensure that a healthy food safety culture survives and thrives within a company
• Ways in which companies can manage turnover and maintain or transfer skills and knowledge.

News and Resources

FDA, CDC Partner to Strengthen Retail Food Safety with MOU [3:40] Study Examines Listeria, Salmonella Survival in Dry Packaging Facilities, Efficacy of Sanitizers [6:20] FDA Study Will Evaluate Children’s Exposure to Mercury from Seafood [11:21] Seaweed Food Safety Knowledge is Limited; FAO, WHO Call for Research, Regulation [12:42]

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