In this episode, host Frank Yiannas sits down with Bill Marler, one of the most influential figures in food safety litigation. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, including the Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, Bill shares what he has learned from being at the center of major outbreaks.

The conversation explores the roles of litigation, regulation, and innovation, and challenges common assumptions. Bill explains why litigation is a limited tool, and why science and public health surveillance have done more to move food safety forward. Tools like whole genome sequencing are making it easier to identify sources, understand root causes, and prevent future outbreaks.

This episode also tackles a key tension. While fear of litigation can slow adoption of new tools, avoiding the truth is not the answer. Transparency and better data are essential for prevention.

The takeaway is clear. Most outbreaks are not mysteries. They are failures of fundamentals. Strong food safety culture, sound risk analysis, and attention to detail remain the foundation for prevention.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

What if food safety risks could be predicted and prevented before they ever occur?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Smarter Food Safety Podcast, host Frank Yiannas sits down with AI pioneer Dr. Elliott Grant to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the future of food safety.

From his early work in traceability to leading innovation at Alphabet’s moonshot factory, Dr. Grant shares a unique perspective on how AI is being applied today and where it is headed next. The conversation explores the different types of AI and what they mean for food safety, along with why high quality and shared data is essential for progress. They discuss real world applications such as predictive risk modeling and automated monitoring, and how these tools can shift food safety from reactive approaches to truly preventive systems.

The episode also tackles important challenges, including regulation, trust, and the need for greater data sharing across the industry. You’ll walk away with practical ideas on how to begin using AI today, regardless of company size or technical expertise.

This episode challenges conventional thinking and invites you to imagine a future where food safety is continuous, intelligent, and proactive. Whether you work in industry, government, or academia, this is a must listen conversation on the next era of smarter food safety.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

Frank Yiannas is a globally recognized food safety leader and former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response. Through Smarter FY Solutions, he helps organizations strengthen food safety culture, leadership, and strategy. Learn more at https://smarterfysolutions.com 

Despite decades of effort, foodborne illness rates have remained largely unchanged. Why has progress stalled, and what will it take to truly bend the curve?

In this episode of Smarter Food Safety, I sit down with Dr. Martin Wiedmann, professor at Cornell University and a leading expert in food microbiology and public health, to explore the systemic challenges facing food safety today.

We’ll examine why traditional approaches have not delivered the expected reductions in illness, the limitations of relying solely on pathogen testing, and the need for more risk-based, data-driven strategies. The conversation also highlights the importance of food safety culture, stronger incentives, better measurement systems, and aligning industry, regulatory, and public health goals.

Dr. Wiedmann shares a forward-looking perspective on how science, technology, and leadership can work together to drive meaningful, sustained improvement.

If the goal is not just safer food, but fewer illnesses, this episode challenges conventional thinking and offers a path forward.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

In this episode of Smarter Food Safety, I sit down with Dr. Mindy Brashears, the U.S. Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for an early look at the priorities shaping federal food safety policy.

Drawing on her background as a scientist, academic, and former USDA leader, Dr. Brashears discusses the agency’s focus on reducing foodborne illness while strengthening collaboration across government, industry, and academia.

The conversation explores several critical issues facing the food system today, including strategies to reduce salmonella in poultry, the persistent challenge of listeria in ready-to-eat foods, and how data, science, and new technologies can help regulators and industry take a more preventive approach to food safety.

Dr. Brashears also shares insights on workforce capacity, regulatory decision-making, and the importance of industry taking proactive responsibility for producing safe food.

If you want to understand where U.S. food safety policy may be headed and what it means for producers, regulators, and consumers, this conversation offers an inside look at the challenges and opportunities ahead.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

Food colorings have become one of the most talked about issues in food policy today. But how much of the concern is grounded in science, and how much is driven by headlines?

In this episode, I sit down with chemist and regulatory expert Dave Schoneker, President of Black Diamond Regulatory Consulting and former President of the International Association of Color Manufacturers. With nearly five decades of experience in food additives and regulatory affairs, Dave brings deep technical insight to a highly charged topic.

We unpack common claims about synthetic dyes, including whether certain colors are banned in Europe, what the Southampton study actually showed, and why warning labels differ across regions. We’ll also clarify the science behind Red 3 and the Delaney Clause, explain the difference between synthetic and so-called natural colors, and explore the unintended consequences of rapid reformulation.

The conversation goes beyond safety to examine supply chain realities, sustainability implications, labeling transparency, state level legal battles, and the role of consumer choice.

If you are trying to separate fact from fear and understand what the science actually says about food colorings, this episode is for you.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

Fifteen years after the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, has it delivered on its promise to shift the U.S. food safety system from reaction to prevention?

In this in depth conversation, I sat down with Mike Taylor, former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and widely regarded as one of the architects of FSMA. We revisit the outbreaks and systemic failures that led to the law’s passage, reflect on what FSMA has accomplished, and candidly examine where progress has stalled.

We’ll discuss prevention, traceability, imports, funding challenges, FDA structure, and the persistent reality that foodborne illness rates remain stubbornly high. The conversation also looks ahead to the future of produce safety, agricultural water standards, public private collaboration, and what true leadership will require to bend the curve of foodborne illness.

This is not a retrospective victory lap. It is an honest assessment of what worked, what did not, and what must happen next.

The Smarter Food Safety Podcast is sponsored by Ecolab, a trusted partner throughout my career. They’re dedicated to protecting what’s vital, by advancing food safety, ensuring clean and safe environments, and enhancing water quality around the world.

In this introduction to Smarter Food Safety, a new podcast hosted by former FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas, explains why food safety awareness is rising while foodborne illness rates remain stubbornly high, and why deeper, more honest conversations are needed now more than ever. Drawing on more than 35 years of leadership across industry and government, Frank shares the vision for the podcast, what listeners can expect from future episodes, and the kinds of tough questions the show will tackle — from policy and outbreaks to culture, technology, and innovation. This episode sets the stage for science-based, unscripted conversations with global food safety leaders aimed at strengthening systems, rebuilding trust, and helping create a safer, smarter food future.