Food Safety Matters

Phil Kafarakis is president of the Specialty Food Association, where he is an advocate and spokesman for the $140 billion U.S. specialty food industry. Prior to his appointment in 2016, he served as the Chief Innovation & Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association. He has held positions at Kraft, McCormick & Co., Cargill, and Jones Dairy Farm. He received an MBA from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Phil [14:59] about: Effects of politics on the food supply chain: Trade and tariffs and regulatory environment Leadership changes in our federal food agencies Important topics to watch for in 2021: FSMA compliance, genetically modified foods, climate issues, and country of origin labeling Changes in import and export regulations The future of foodservice Effects of the pandemic on the food industry: Stimulus payments, lockdowns, and transportation Third-party delivery: Lack of regulations, packaging and temperature challenges, and who’s responsible for food safety? Pandemic-inspired innovations  Bob Ferguson: Food Safety Insights [5:35]2021: What Changes of the Past Year Are Likely to Stick? News and Resources: FDA Publishes Information from Food Traceability Public Meetings, Including Supply Chain Example FDA's Core Response Teams Releases List of Outbreak Investigations Global Food Safety Culture Series: Europe Global Food Safety Culture Series: Australia Sponsored by ARM & HAMMER Visit AHfoodchain.com to learn more about the diverse and comprehensive food safety solutions available from ARM & HAMMER. We Want to Hear from You!Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com

Will Daniels is president of the produce division at IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group. In this role, Will is responsible for lab and consulting services for the produce industry. Prior to joining IEH, Will was president and CEO of Fresh Integrity Group, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in operations and food safety consulting for the fresh produce and perishables industries.  Prior to his involvement with start-up companies, Will was with Earthbound Farm from 1999 until 2014. Having leadership roles in both quality assurance and operations, he helped the company grow from a small, regional salad producer to the nation’s largest grower, packer, and shipper of organic produce. As Earthbound Farm’s Chief Food Integrity Officer, Daniels was responsible for food safety, food quality, and the company’s organic integrity program. Before joining Earthbound Farm, Will worked for 15 years as a consultant in the foodservice sector; working in the back of the house designing menus, introducing food safety and, improving costs; he even had his own catering business.  Will is a sought-after speaker and has addressed key issues in food safety in the produce industry at meetings of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Restaurant Association, the Institute of Food Technologists and the International Association for Food Protection. He was the keynote speaker at the 2020 Food Safety Summit. Will was one of the Packer 25 annual list of produce leaders for 2013 and was named one of the food industry’s top food safety leaders by Marler/Clark’s Food Safety News in 2013. He has also been featured in a variety of national news stories on food safety with media such as The New York Times and ABC News’s Good Morning America; he is the author of two book chapters, “Effectively Managing through a Crisis,” in Microbial Safety of Fresh Produce, published by Wiley in 2009 and “Pathogen Testing in Fresh Produce: Earthbound Farm,” in Global Safety of Fresh Produce; A Handbook of Best Practice, Innovative Commercial Collations and Case Studies, published by Woodhead Publishing in 2014. An active leader in the food industry, Will serves on a variety of boards and technical committees including the Food Safety Magazine editorial advisory board. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Will [13:36] about: The human side of food safety as part of public health Reestablishing a relationship with the consumer Reliving the 2006 spinach outbreak Educating and engaging your workforce Engaging senior management in food safety How to counter complacency in your food safety plan The ongoing saga of romaine lettuce outbreaks The role of whole-genome sequencing in outbreak surveillance Why romaine is such a challenging commodity to keep safe Irrigation water standards Moving beyond the regulations to improve food safety even more What drives food safety programs Keeping food workers safe during the pandemic Where we go from here News and Resources: FDA Investigation Finds Cattle Implicated in Leafy Greens E. coli Outbreak [1:55] Researchers Examine Listeria monocytogenes Tolerance to Sanitizers [5:07] Center for Produce Safety (CPS) Fund Raising Campaign Study: Text Mining Approaches for Postmarket Food Safety Surveillance Using Online Media [9:35] Sponsored By: Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University Online Food Safety Program  Online MS in Food Safety Program Curriculum: Online MS in Food Safety Program We Want to Hear from You!Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com

Joseph Corby is Senior Advisor of Food Safety Regulations for the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Joe Corby worked for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for 37 years before retiring in 2008 as the director of the Division of Food Safety and Inspection. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI). He is also an instructor for IFPTI, Louisiana State University, the National Environmental Health Association, and the University of Tennessee. He has been an outspoken advocate for the advancement of a nationally integrated food safety system and continues to work with numerous groups and associations in support of this cause. Erik P. Mettler, M.P.H., M.P.A., is Assistant Commissioner for Partnerships and Policy within the Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA. In this role, Eric Mettler serves as advisor to the associate commissioner for regulatory affairs on the full range of Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA)'s activities, including partnerships, implementation of new laws and regulations, and overall strategic planning and prioritization. He is responsible for providing long-range strategic direction for ORA policies and programs, including the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Mettler holds a Master of Public Health from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. Steve Mandernach is the Executive Director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), which unites high-level regulatory officials, industry representatives, trade associations, academia, and consumer organizations. Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, Steve was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections. He is a past president of AFDO and current co-chair of the Association’s Laws and Regulations committee. He has a J.D. from Drake University Law School. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Steve, Joe, and Erik [14:25] about: How domestic mutual reliance fits into the blueprint of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety What FDA means by domestic mutual reliance Examples of domestic mutual reliance in practice The challenges of different regulations across the country Positioning resources for compliance The importance of food safety culture Harmonizing the philosophies around compliance and enforcement between state and federal governments Why having an integrated food safety system took so long Mutual reliance success stories: New York, Florida, Wisconsin Challenges for implementation of domestic mutual reliance partnerships Pros and cons of virtual audits/inspections Impact of domestic mutual reliance on food laboratories Applicability of domestic mutual reliance globally Future goals of domestic mutual reliance Resources Register now for a related webinar featuring Joe Corby, AFDO; Frank Greene, CT Dept. of Consumer Protection; Erik Mettler, FDA; Pamela Miles, VA Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services; and Mark Sestak, AL Dept. of Public Health: How FDA is Integrating the Blueprint for Smarter Food Safety • Food Safety Magazine launches new website! Visit us at our new address www.Food-Safety.com • Food Safety Magazine introduces our new eMagazine platform! Click here to check out our new and exciting format. • Register now for Global Food Safety Culture Series: Europe. Featuring Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Cultivate; Jonathan Walsh Ph.D., 3M Food Safety; Lydie De Meyer and Edyta Krysiuk-Kowalczyk, Danone. This is part one of our five-part series. Parts two through five examine Australia, Asia, North American, and Latin America. • When There Wasn’t Enough Sanitizer, Distilleries Stepped Up. Now They’re Facing $14,060 FDA Fees. FDA response. FDA User Fee Programs. Sponsored by: Romer Labs is a leading global supplier of diagnostic solutions for food and feed safety. Romer Labs offers a broad range of innovative products and services covering mycotoxins, food pathogens, food allergens, gluten, GMO, veterinary drug residues, and melamine. Romer Labs operates four accredited, full-service laboratories on three continents. Explore Romer Labs’ Products and Services          

As we embark on 2021, the Food Safety Matters team, along with Larry Keener President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants, sat down to discuss the impacts of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) over the last 10 years and how we move forward from here. Also included are comments from, Frank Yiannas, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, Stephen Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), Kathy Gombas, Food Safety Consultant at FSMA Implementation Solutions, and Dr. David Acheson, Founder and CEO of The Acheson Group. Questions discussed in this episode: The most significant impact of FSMA on the food industry Impacts of the Preventive Controls (PC) and Produce rules Impact on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulators and FDA culture Moved food safety into mainstream conversations Supply chain control The remaining gaps in the food safety regulations Transportation needs Traceability Retail/foodservice Understanding whether a certain business is subject to a particular regulation FDA guidance Exemptions for the very small businesses Have these regulations reduced outbreaks of foodborne illness? The problem with following the numbers of outbreaks as an indication of success Increased detection capabilities = increased numbers of outbreaks ≠ unsafe food Moving forward with the New Era for Smarter Food Safety Blueprint Resources Download Food Safety Matters Compilation of Industry Responses  The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act at 10: Reflecting on Our Progress and the Path Forward

As we wrap up 2020, the Food Safety Matters team, along with Bob Ferguson of Strategic Consulting Inc., sat down to discuss the biggest moments in food safety this year, and what we have to look forward to as we move into 2021. Topics discussed in this episode: Food business disruptions: Changes to the supply chain and transportation challenges Keeping food personnel safe Implications for food safety Emergency preparedness Sanitation New Era of Smarter Food Safety The future of remote audits: Implications and innovations Recalls and outbreaks: What the numbers may mean Presenting Sponsor Michigan State University Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program  Online MS in Food Safety Program Curriculum: Online MS in Food Safety Program Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow Us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter We Want to Hear From You! Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us. ​ • Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com • Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com    

Sally Powell Price joined MilliporeSigma earlier this year as a Regulatory Expert for Food Safety. Previously, Sally served as the Director of Lab Operations at a biotech startup in Boston supporting regulatory & R&D operations. Prior to that role, she was the Food Lab Supervisor at the New York City Department of Health, Public  Health Laboratory. Sally is a member of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, American Public Health Association, Association of Public Health Laboratories, and AOAC. She has a B.Sc. degree in biology from Hamilton College, and a M.Sc. in microbiology & immunology from James Cook University in Australia, and continuing coursework in public health and foodborne disease at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Justyce Jedlicka currently serves in the newly created role of the Food and Beverage Regulatory Liaison in North America for MilliporeSigma. She is responsible for engaging with influencers in the food and beverage industry to align initiatives to be in the highest regulatory compliance and promote best practices among testing methods—promoting the safest and highest quality food. Prior to MilliporeSigma, she worked as a formulation chemist and lab technician at Chemia Corporation. She currently serves on the Food Sciences Section Executive Board of the American Council of Independent Labs. She is a member of the International Association of Food Protection, Institute of Beverage Technologists, and participates in working groups with AOAC. Justyce received a B.Sc. in chemistry and an M.B.A. from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. ​In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to MilliporeSigma about: Why are we seeing so many Salmonella outbreaks? Why Salmonella is so difficult to irradicate in the processing environment How to use FDA’s new outbreak tool Steps the food industry is taking to control Salmonella Choosing the correct kill steps for Salmonella How the industry is communicating with consumers about Salmonella The importance of food safety advocacy groups Regulatory updates surrounding Salmonella What are multi-drug resistant Salmonella and why are they important to understand What the future holds for controlling and irradicating Salmonella  What makes MilliporeSigma’s Salmonella control products different  Advice for the food industry in controlling Salmonella  How Salmonella is affecting the pet food industry Resources: Safe Solutions for Food and Beverages EN ISO 6579-1 for Salmonella Detection in the food chain Presenting Sponsor: MilliporeSigma

Tamara Mullin is currently the Director of Safety for FOODWORKS where she oversees food safety procedures and builds upon them to create food safety programs, training, and compliances. Before this, she was the FOODWORKS District Manager. Tamara obtained her degree from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in 1993. Tamara has been working in corporate dining since 1997. She has managed multiple corporate kitchens, rolled out café concepts, and created menus with recipes focused on customer needs. ​In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Tamara [10:15] about: The history of FOODWORKS How FOODWORKS helps local communities Amenities for their restaurant and host partners How FOODWORKS interfaces with health departments FOODWORKS locations across the country Leveraging resources to help small businesses Impact of COVID on the process Partnership opportunities and how to get started Food code challenges Sharing food safety “tricks of the trade” Incorporating food safety training Standards for acceptance into the program News Mentioned in the Episode: FDA Expands Partnerships in California to Enhance Food Safety [4:32] ​CORE Outbreak Investigation Table Issued by FDA [7:10] Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook.  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter. We Want to Hear From You! Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us. Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com. Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com.

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Sharon Dobesh (director of technical services) and Leonard Mongiello (business development and sales manager) from the Industrial Fumigant Company (IFC) about controlling birds and rodents. Specifically, how to keep them where they belong—away from your buildings, out of your docks and processing areas. In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to IFC about: • Most common bird and rodent pests in facilities • Exclusion methods for keeping birds off and out of facilities • Exclusion methods for keeping rodents out of facilities • Threats associated with bird and rodent presence at facilities • Facilities that could be at higher risk for pests • Signs and symptoms that help you identify pests • Conducting visual inspections • Adequate vs. proactive pest management • Pest prevention Resources IFC Resources ​ Presenting Sponsor IFC

Nevin Perera is the research & development manager for PerkinElmer where he and his team have developed a range of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) including Solus One Salmonella, Solus One Listeria, and Solus One Escherichia coli. Nevin’s career started at the University of Birmingham in the UK, where he was studying for a B.Sc. (Hons) in microbiology before transitioning to a M.Sc. in toxicology and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. He was researching the regulation of phospholipase C in yeast under different environmental and chemical stresses. He continued his academic career in the Department of Cell Signalling and Immunology, University of Dundee, carrying out postdoctoral research on the regulation of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, finishing with 10 peer-reviewed publications. Upon leaving academia, Nevin focused his career on ELISA and lateral flow device development, doing outstanding work at Merck Millipore, Mediawatch Plc., and now PerkinElmer. In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to PerkinElmer's Nevin Perera about: Pressure on the food industry regarding the critical need for rapid and accurate pathogen detection How PerkinElmer targeted the trifecta of rapid, specific, and sensitive assays for food matrices and environmental surfaces in alignment with FSMA Comparing methods: molecular, cultural, and immunological Optimizing workflow parameters Solus One global validations and certifications Meeting the challenges of troublesome matrices Presenting Sponsor PerkinElmer Learn more about Solus One:  Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli O157 Learn more about Solus One for Environmental Monitoring

Dr. Scott Brooks is the Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Tyson Foods. Previously, Scott held similar food safety, quality, and regulatory executive positions at Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, and Yum! Brands after serving as a Public Health Officer in the Air Force. His Doctorate is in Veterinary Medicine with Master’s degrees in both Food Microbiology and Preventive Veterinary Medicine. He served on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and is a Past-President of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Scott [18:29] about: The centralized corporate structure of Tyson Foods Initial assumptions about the pandemic  The challenge in keeping 120,000 team members safe and healthy How Tyson got its hands on PPE for their employees Facility changes as a result of the pandemic Sanitation challenges The creation of a cross-functional group consisting of occupational health and safety and food safety and quality teams What happens when facilities get locked down Challenges unique to the meat industry How to navigate federal guidance when the science is a moving target Positive outcomes as a result of COVID What still remains a challenge Rethinking crisis management plans Bringing healthcare to the workplace Supply chain impacts Unintended consequences of COVID on the food industry Resource:  Promoting workplace safety in the era of COVID-19: keeping employees, their families, and communities healthy and safe News Mentioned in the Episode: FDA Provides Tools and Resources Related to Food Traceability Proposed Rule [4:31] Here We Go Again: E.coli Found in Romaine [7:35] Not Fare Enough: FARE Expresses Disappointment in FDA's Proposed Voluntary Disclosure of Sesame as Allergen [12:26] U.S. House of Representatives Unanimously Passes Faster Act Food Research and Resource Program: Food Allergens [FARRP] - International Regulatory Chart Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine Follow us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook.  Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter. We Want to Hear From You! Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us. Email us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com. Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com.