The AFDO Audio Podcast

We interviewed Healthy People co-chair Ernest Jullian about the Summit and it's progress.

After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, more than 160 people focused on food safety continued to move the needle on actionable steps to decrease foodborne illness. For two and half days last week, meeting both in person and virtually, key subject matter experts and leaders continued the conversation while updating 2020 recommendations and developing new ones. 

Encouraging people to think outside of the box when it comes to changes needed to reduce foodborne illness continues to inspire change.  Attendees from all facets of food safety from academia to state program managers, the focus was on the collaboration and development of a reduction action plan that brings together all partners who have a stake in this priority. 

This AFDO podcast is with Mark Sestak, AFDO's 20-21 president. Sestak talks about his journey to the presidency and shares his priorities for AFDO this year. 

This week's AFDO Podcast addresses the impact of COVID-19 on bulk repackaging events that have become even more critical during the pandemic.We visited virtually with Topher Philgreen with Something to Eat in the Kansas City area, about adjustments that have allowed repackaging events to continue to support at risk families. 

The AFDO Podcast goes to the West Coast where the Oregon Department of Agriculture has developed COVID-19 response programs that will have a lasting impact. We visited virtually with Isaak Stapleton, Food Safety and Animal Health Program Director for the Oregon Department of Agriculture about Oregon’s Food Security and Farm Worker Safety.

A few weeks before the COVID-19 crisis hit, we interviewed Jerry Wojtala, Executive Director of International Food Protection Training Institute for IFPTI to learn more about the Institute in addition to the IFPTI Fellowship program.  The Fellowships are a unique, year-long program for food protection professionals who want to make a positive impact on the profession through association membership, advocacy, and applied leadership. This program takes a multifaceted approach incorporating three on-location week-long sessions, periodic webinars, and a mentor-guided research project. This year those poster sessions will be done virtually.

Do you know what IFPTI does? A few weeks before the COVID-19 crisis hit, we interviewed Jerry Wojtala, Executive Director of International Food Protection Training Institute or IFPTI. IFPTI builds competency-based solutions for public- and private-sector food protection professionals. This translates to custom-designed learning organized around curriculum frameworks aligned with specific workforce competencies.

NASDA 2020 Educators Roundtable Podcast: Biofilms - What More do you Need to Know?

Diane Walker, Research Engineer, Center of Biofilms Engineering, University of Montana, [email protected]

In this episode, Chris and Michelle talk with Ms. Diane Walker about the mission and research of the Center for Biofilm Engineering. She mentioned why biofilms are important when considering cleaning and sanitation under the produce safety rule. Discusses the research behind biofilms and how these important studies will help understand the reduction of contamination in the future. She also discusses dry biofilms, what they are and more importantly what they mean to produce safety. The podcasts ends with a discussion around the importance of standardizing methods for studying biofilms and their control.

Our series hosts are

Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Professor and Extension Specialist – Food Microbiology, University of Florida IFAS, [email protected]

Dr. Chris Gunter, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University, [email protected]

Resources

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2004.01.019

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.01.014

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.10.020

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02462

https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12496

Podcast Sessions Replacing Educators Round Table Workshop, Produce Safety Consortium March 2020   

We connect with leading scientists across the country working in diverse areas of produce safety.  In these casual discussions, our presenters share insights into the science behind some of our favorite topics in the Produce Safety Rule. These podcasts address water, cleaning, and sanitation issues beyond that expressly covered in the Rule. This series of podcasts has been developed, with help and support from NASDA, FDA, and AFDO, to explore the educational content originally scheduled for the Produce Safety Consortium Educator’s Pre-meeting workshop.

NASDA 2020 Educators Roundtable Podcast: Using Hygienic Design Principles to Improve Sanitation Practices on Produce Farms

Dr. Betsy Bihn, Cornell PSA Director, Cornell University, Director, Produce Safety Alliance; Executive Director, Institute for Food Safety at Cornell University, [email protected]

Chris Callahan, PE, MBA, Extension Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering, University of Vermont, [email protected]

Michelle and Chris talk to Dr. Betsy Bihn and Chris Callahan, PE around challenges and opportunities in the produce industry related to cleaning and sanitizing, good manufacturing practices (GMPs), and hygienic design of equipment. There’s a discussion about an additional group in need of education on this topic, the equipment manufacturing industry. Advances forward will require collaboration and communication between many groups including growers, postharvest researchers, food safety specialists, and manufacturers, to address the challenges that are unique to the produce industry.

Our series hosts are

Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Professor and Extension Specialist – Food Microbiology, University of Florida IFAS, [email protected]

Dr. Chris Gunter, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University, [email protected]

Resources

http://go.uvm.edu/hdpackage

https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/sites/producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/Cleaning-vs-Sanitizing.pdf

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS11900.pdf

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS12000.pdf

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS23400.pdf

http://67.199.119.73/articlePF.asp?id=926&sub=sub1

https://blog.uvm.edu/cwcaallah/2019/05/30/hygienic-and-sanitary-design-for-produce-farms/

Podcast Sessions Replacing Educators Round Table Workshop, Produce Safety Consortium March 2020   

We connect with leading scientists across the country working in diverse areas of produce safety.  In these casual discussions, our presenters share insights into the science behind some of our favorite topics in the Produce Safety Rule. These podcasts address water, cleaning, and sanitation issues beyond that expressly covered in the Rule. This series of podcasts has been developed, with help and support from NASDA, FDA, and AFDO, to explore the educational content originally scheduled for the Produce Safety Consortium Educator’s Pre-meeting workshop.

NASDA 2020 Educators Roundtable Podcast: Indicators, Index Organisms, and Generic E. coli

Dr. Faith Critzer, Associate Professor and Produce Safety Extension Specialist, Washington State University, [email protected]

In this episode, Chris and Michelle talk with Dr. Faith Critzer about the confusion around the produce safety terms of indicators and index organisms. They discuss generic E. coli and what coliforms mean in water testing as opposed to environmental indicators for sanitation. Field sampling and the myth of testing your way to safety is also explored. Faith also points out some new directions research may go to fill the gaps that exist in the scientific literature.

Our series hosts are

Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Professor and Extension Specialist – Food Microbiology, University of Florida IFAS, [email protected]

Dr. Chris Gunter, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University, [email protected]

Resources

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2013.04.003

https://doi.org/10.3109/1040841X.2014.954524

https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.00777-13

https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-185

https://doi.org/10.1264/jsme2.23.101

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00134

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174889

https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2016.2117

Podcast Sessions Replacing Educators Round Table Workshop, Produce Safety Consortium March 2020   

We connect with leading scientists across the country working in diverse areas of produce safety.  In these casual discussions, our presenters share insights into the science behind some of our favorite topics in the Produce Safety Rule. These podcasts address water, cleaning, and sanitation issues beyond that expressly covered in the Rule. This series of podcasts has been developed, with help and support from NASDA, FDA, and AFDO, to explore the educational content originally scheduled for the Produce Safety Consortium Educator’s Pre-meeting workshop.

NASDA 2020 Educators Roundtable Podcast: Hazards, Risks, and Agricultural Water Sampling

Dr. Don Schaffner, Extension Specialist in Food Science and Distinguished Professor.Rutgers University, [email protected]

Chris and Michelle talk to Dr. Don Schaffner about risk assessment and risk management, and its use regarding agricultural water testing for the Produce Safety Rule. Don referred to a slide set that is posted (you might consider looking at it while you listen). Don starts by defining hazards and risks, and what it means for something to be “risk based”. The difference between risk assessors, risk managers, and risk communicators was also discussed, as was one of his favorite topics: indicator organisms. He then walks us through two recent papers that evaluated surface water sampling and their findings in relation to PSR requirements. This discussion includes “sampling your way to safety”, and the economics of sampling. The podcast ends with the thought that nothing in 100% safe, and encourages growers to be proactive and take the initiative on irrigation water testing.

Our series hosts are

Dr. Michelle Danyluk, Professor and Extension Specialist – Food Microbiology, University of Florida IFAS, [email protected]

Dr. Chris Gunter, Vegetable Production Specialist and Professor, North Carolina State University, [email protected]

Resources

https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-185

https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-122

https://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/sites/producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/2017%20GM%20STV%20Worksheet%20v1.0.pdf

http://producesafetyalliance.cornell.edu/resources/educational-materials/fsma-produce-safety-rule-water-requirements-insights-get-you-organized

https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-produce-safety

https://go.ncsu.edu/schaffner_nasda_slideset

Podcast Sessions Replacing Educators Round Table Workshop, Produce Safety Consortium March 2020   

We connect with leading scientists across the country working in diverse areas of produce safety.  In these casual discussions, our presenters share insights into the science behind some of our favorite topics in the Produce Safety Rule. These podcasts address water, cleaning, and sanitation issues beyond that expressly covered in the Rule. This series of podcasts has been developed, with help and support from NASDA, FDA, and AFDO, to explore the educational content originally scheduled for the Produce Safety Consortium Educator’s Pre-meeting workshop.