Ep. 107. Kerry Bridges: Chipotle: “Everyone is talking about food safety.”

Nov 9, 2021

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Kerry Bridges is Vice President of Food Safety at Chipotle Mexican Grill. In this role, Kerry oversees food safety standards, quality assurance, and procedures. Kerry joined Chipotle in January of 2019 and oversees a team of individuals who are committed to enforcing Chipotle’s zero-tolerance policy and industry-leading processes, focusing on supply chain, in-restaurant practices, food prep, and employee training. Prior to joining Chipotle, Kerry oversaw supplier food safety for the world’s largest food retailer, Walmart, serving over 200 million customers around the world on a weekly basis. During her time at Walmart, Kerry’s food safety oversight included tens of thousands of Walmarts, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Clubs food suppliers, in addition to researching and assessing new and emerging food safety issues and handling regulatory compliance. Prior to Walmart, Kerry’s food safety career included roles with TESCO and Jack in the Box Inc. Kerry is the past President of the International Association for the Southern California Affiliate of Food Protection (IAFP) and a former Board Member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GSFI). Kerry attended California Polytechnic State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Food Science.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we talk to Kerry [1:58] about:

Looking back on the 2015 norovirus outbreaks
Chipotle’s HACCP and Norovirus Prevention Protocol (NPP) programs
Top three steps foodservice providers should take to prevent foodborne illness
How to include food safety training in every aspect of business
Establishing Food Safety Leaders in every restaurant
Strategic direction for Field Food Safety Teams
Using data to establish a digital HACCP program
How food safety and wellness programs prepared Chipotle for COVID-19
Working with Zero Hour Health
Food safety culture: “You’re responsible, and you’re accountable”
Highlighting food safety programs on Chipotle’s corporate website
Chipotle’s All-Star Food Safety Advisory Council
Embracing opportunities to improve food safety through technology

References: Chipotle Website Chipotle Website - Food Safety