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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by FDA Retail Food Specialist Carolyn White at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.

No one is happy to see a health inspector, right? Well, today’s guest will help reframe that point of view as she shows that a health inspector is NOT the enemy but a resource.

She shares some essential FDA resources available for retail food safety both for regulators and operators.

In true Don’t Eat Poop! fashion, they dive deep into the issue of Norovirus including all the projectile vomiting that goes with it. They also share great stories of being in food retail.

In this episode:

💩 [01:35] Carolyn White and her role as FDA Retail Food Specialist

💩 [03:21] The power of Carolyn’s background   

💩 [05:11] Working with different rules in different places

💩 [05:56] A day in the life of an FDA Retail Food Specialist

💩 [06:37] The importance of the Annexes in the Food Code

💩 [10:09] Free tools and resources for regulators and operators

💩 [12:36] Norovirus and the difficulty of preventing its spread 

💩 [16:09] An FDA Retail Food Specialist’s role in an outbreak situation

💩 [17:19] How local regulatory programs are making a difference

💩 [21:22] Regulators and operators share the same goals

💩 [24:52] No conversation is off-limits for folks in retail food

💩 [26:45] The importance of health inspectors

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

Resources from this episode

Read Francine’s recent article for QA Magazine Sanitation Supplement: The Essentials of Sanitation in Food Facilities.

Check out the FDA Employee Health Policy Tool Carolyn mentioned.

Meet Vomiting Larry and get a visual representation of vomit spray.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“For our industry stakeholders, we talk a lot about food safety management systems and are we putting in a culture of food safety into our establishment, whether you have a 4 million dollar budget or a 40 dollar budget, right? The importance of that food safety culture.” – Carolyn White

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!

We'd love to hear from you!

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

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

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

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Produced by Ideablossoms