Food Safety Matters

Brittany Sambol is the Vice President of Operations at Wildtype Foods, where she is responsible for leading the scale-up of the company’s operations function, including product commercialization and manufacturing facility expansion. Prior to joining Wildtype, Brittany spent six years at Clif Bar & Company, leading in various areas including supply chain and contract manufacturing management, product innovation and scale-up, and sustainable packaging development. Earlier in her career, Brittany worked as a chemical engineer and then spent over 12 years directly leading manufacturing operations in the CPG industry.  Khyati Shah, Ph.D. is an esteemed molecular biologist with a distinguished career spanning over ten years in the development and promotion of innovative pathogen testing of products for the food and beverage industry. Serving as a global product manager for the Food and Beverage segment of the Life Sciences business of MilliporeSigma, Dr. Shah is instrumental in creating and spearheading the product roadmap for the cultured meat and alternative protein business. With MilliporeSigma's strong focus on providing research and development (R&D) to scale-up solutions in this emerging industry, Dr. Shah enables cost-effective, sustainable, and efficient supply chain solutions to bring cultured meat and seafood products to market.  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brittany and Dr. Shah about: Wildtype Foods' origin story How MilliporeSigma is supporting the cultured meat space from R&D to scale-up Wildtype Foods' scale-up journey Key challenges that may be encountered during scale-up Solutions and support MilliporeSigma can provide during scale-up. Sponsored by: MilliporeSigma We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Jason Richardson, Ph.D. is the Vice President of Global Quality and Food Safety of The Coca-Cola Company, a position he has held since January 2021. In this role, Jason leads a team of quality and food safety professionals who are accountable for delivering global strategic and operational leadership for performance and progress of quality and food safety programs across the Coca-Cola system.   Jason joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 2009, holding a variety of quality, food safety, and technical leadership positions within Coca-Cola North America over the course of his career. Prior to joining The Coca-Cola Company, Jason spent over seven years as a Microbiologist/Collateral Duty Safety Officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA’s ARS), conducting research on sanitizers, novel technologies, standard and rapid microbiological detection methods, and the ecology of bacterial foodborne pathogens in foods, achieving more than 150 peer-reviewed publications.   Jason serves or has served on numerous committees and advisory boards during his career, including SSAFE, Consumer Brands Association, the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety Board of Advisories and its College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean's Industry Advisory Council, USDA's Exotic Newcastle Disease Task Force, and USDA's Committee on Feasibility of "zero tolerance" for Salmonella on raw poultry. He is currently serving as Treasurer for SSAFE. He is active in professional associations, including IAFP, where he serves on several professional development groups.    Jason obtained his B.S.A. and M.S. degrees, as well as his Ph.D., from the University of Georgia, focusing in Agribusiness, Poultry Science, and Food Science and Technology, with emphases in Food Microbiology and Food Safety. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jason [23:58] about: The evolution of his career, from food safety microbiologist to corporate business leader The development and implementation of Coca-Cola’s Amplify Quality Framework, an initiative led by Jason to revamp the company’s food safety and quality assurance (FSQA) programs to optimize enterprise-wide performance and growth How Jason balances both food safety and quality assurance through his leadership and with the help of his FSQA teams Initiatives Jason is working on to refresh Coca-Cola’s food safety culture, and messaging and methods he uses to reinforce good food safety culture throughout the company How Jason contextualizes FSQA as an asset to business performance and growth Balancing cost optimization with FSQA efforts Words of advice for early-career food safety professionals who will be the FSQA leaders of the future. News and Resources FDA Publishes Report About On-Farm Investigations, Sampling of Leafy Greens in Salinas Valley [4:24] AMR Trends can be Reversed by Decreasing Antimicrobial Use, EU Agencies Report [9:39] Researchers Call for Improved Surveillance of Yersinia, an Underestimated Threat to Food Safety [16:23] USDA Develops Egg Pasteurization Technology That Rapidly Kills 99.999 Percent of Salmonella [19:09] Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit!Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register before March 31 for a 10% early bird discount rate, plus use promo code “FSMatters15” for an extra 15% off registration. Yes, that’s a total discount of 25%! Sponsored by:Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program  We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Brian Ronholm, M.A., is the Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports, where he leads advocacy efforts to advance a safe and healthy food system. He was in public service prior to joining Consumer Reports, having served as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and before that, as a congressional staff person for Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut.  In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brian [28:55] about: How his prior experience in regulatory policy informs his current consumer advocacy work The FDA Foods Coalition, of which Consumer Reports is a part, and how the Coalition will work with Jim Jones, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, to bring about change The need for stricter limits, testing, and disclosure of toxic heavy metals in baby foods, and FDA’s handling of this issue through its Closer to Zero Initiative How FDA’s “historic inactivity” regarding food additives may be prompting state-level legislation, such as the California Food Safety Act, and what actions could be taken at the federal level to reign in control over food additives regulation USDA’s proposed regulatory framework to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry, and the importance of pathogen testing and enforceable standards Takeaways from the Netflix documentary Poisoned, and the need for constant vigilance and innovation in food safety.   News and Resources WGS Helps Solve a Decade-Long Listeria Outbreak Linked to Queso Fresco, Cotija Cheese [6:00] Recent Outbreaks of Listeriosis Linked to Fresh Soft Queso Fresco Type Cheeses in the U.S. NACMCF Reports on Reducing Salmonella in Poultry, Advises FSIS on Proposed Regulatory Framework [12:43] In a 2023 Recap, USDA-FSIS Says it Aims to Publish Formal Regulatory Proposal for Salmonella in Poultry by Early 2024  Study Highlights Importance of Addressing Biofilm-Forming Pathogens to Control Listeria in Food Processing Facilities [20:03] Identification of Biofilm-forming Foodborne Pathogens and Development of Prevention Strategies  FDA Publishes Guidance to Support Seafood Industry in Trying to Get Products Removed From DWPE [23:44] Nationwide Produce Outbreak: A Moment You Never Forget Ep. 15. Will Daniels: "It was a game changer for the industry" Get free access to Consumer Reports for 1 month Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit!Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register before March 31 for a 10% early bird discount rate, plus use promo code “FSMatters15” for an extra 15% off registration. Yes, that’s a total discount of 25%! Sponsored by: IFCClick here to schedule your free assessment. We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Natalie Dyenson, M.P.H. is the Chief Food Safety and Regulatory Officer for the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). She has nearly three decades of experience in food safety that encompasses the entire produce supply chain, from farm to fork. In her role at IFPA, Natalie and her team actively work to guide industry on food safety issues and connect with regulators and policymakers to advocate for a science-focused and risk-based approach to food safety worldwide. Having previously served as Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for Dole Food Company, Natalie is an internationally recognized food safety expert with broad and extensive experience leading international food safety programs for produce. She has leadership experience in food safety, public health, and regulatory compliance, leading global teams with a focus on scientific, risk-based program development, strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance. Prior to joining Dole, Natalie held food safety leadership roles with both Walmart U.S. and Walmart International divisions. She also worked with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, where she held various roles in food safety and public health supporting domestic and international operations. Natalie holds a B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Iowa and an M.P.H. degree in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of South Florida. She serves on the Produce Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (USDA NIFA’s) Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant, and sits on the Board of Directors for the Center for Produce Safety (CPS). In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Natalie [29:05] about: How Natalie’s experience has given her a well-rounded, global perspective that informs her current work at IFPA The work of IFPA’s Food Safety Council to improve food safety worldwide, and how the council represents the Association’s international and multi-sectoral community Why IFPA recently became a member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and the Association’s goal to reduce redundant audits as part of the GFSI Coalition for Action IFPA’s participation in the Codex Alimentarius Commission Committee on Food Hygiene to ensure the produce perspective is part of the discussion as Codex guidance and recommendations are developed IFPA’s current priorities for produce food safety achievable through its three strategic objectives The long-awaited U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Agricultural Water Proposed Rule (Subpart E of the Produce Safety Rule), and IFPA’s recently published, anticipatory guidance for industry The increasing concern about Cyclospora contamination of produce, the unreliability of detection methods under development, and strategies that can be implemented to break the cycle of contamination despite lacking effective detection methods. News and Resources New Illinois Bill Aims to Ban Same Four Toxic Food Additives as California Food Safety Act [4:12] EFSA: Poor Hygienic Equipment Design Most Crucial Risk Factor for Persistent Pathogens in Food Production [11:16] GAO, HHS Urge FDA to Develop Implementation Plan for Food Traceability Final Rule [17:50]FDA’s Food Traceability Final Rule FAQs, Tools, and Resources USDA Releases Annual Pesticide Residue Report, Finds 99 Percent of Samples Below Benchmarks [20:59] Study Shows Promise of Phage Treatment in Reducing Salmonella on Raw Chicken Breast [22:36] IFPA Industry Guidance on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Stop Foodborne Illness Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship [WEBINAR] February 22, 2024 “Applied Root Cause Analysis: Using Your Results to Effectively Manage Risk” [WEBINAR] March 28, 2024 "Controlling Salmonella and Cronobacter in Dry Processing Environments by Managing System Breaches"   Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit!Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register before March 31 for a 10% early bird discount rate, plus use promo code “FSMatters15” for an extra 15% off registration. Yes, that’s a total discount of 25%! We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com  

Brian Sylvester, J.D., is a Partner in Perkins Coie LLP's Washington D.C. office and a former Attorney-Advisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Marketing, Regulatory, and Food Safety Programs Division's Office of the General Counsel. At Perkins Coie, Brian focuses his practice on regulatory matters before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the USDA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and analogous state regulatory bodies. He is a leading authority on food technology regulation and serves as a trusted advisor to global brands, startups, life science companies, investors, and trade associations. Brian is a prolific author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the U.S., the EU, Israel, and other parts of the world. He is regularly called upon to offer insights on trending legal issues by preeminent industry and global publications. He holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor's degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences from Dartmouth College. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brian [30:41] about: How the 2023 California Food Safety Act, which bans several additives common in processed foods, might affect companies’ food formulations nationwide Economic and other logistical challenges for companies adjusting for the California Food Safety Act and the feasibility of achieving compliance by the January 2027 deadline Other food additives and packaging chemicals under increasing scrutiny that companies may want to begin addressing in their products in light of class-action lawsuits Precedents set by the California Food Safety Act for other states to enact similar bans and for consumer beliefs to more heavily influence food law How the California Food Safety Act may be influencing the conversation around food additives legislation at FDA, evidenced by recent statements from the agency about two chemicals banned by the legislation The likelihood of industry lobbying and litigation in response to the California Food Safety Act, and the responses already made by industry and consumer groups criticizing the precedent it sets of circumventing science-based decision-making Brian’s thoughts on the actual contribution of the California Food Safety Act to food safety and public health, and how the ban was shaped by advocacy groups and consumers The likelihood of a patchwork of state regulations following the California Food Safety Act and the need for FDA to step in to prevent conflicting food additives regulation nationwide Possible implications if New York Senate Bill A6424 were to pass, which is pending legislation that is nearly identical to the original draft of the California Food Safety Act. News and Resources News FDA Publishes First CORE Annual Report Summarizing Foodborne Illness Outbreak Investigations [4:47]The Incident Command System and Foodborne Illness Outbreak InvestigationsOutbreak Investigations of Cyclospora cayetanensis Infections 2013–2020: Progress Made and Challenges Remaining FDA: Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Voluntarily Recalls Certain Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Powdered Infant Formula Products [12:48]Reckitt: Recall Alert: Select Batches of Nutramigen Powder New Insights About Salmonella Interactions With Environmental Biofilms May Lead to Better Food Safety Strategies [17:30] High Levels of Toxic Plasticizers Phthalates, Bisphenols Found in Nearly All Foods in U.S. [19:48] How Leadership Style Influences Employees' Likelihood to Voice Food Safety Concerns [26:31] Interview Resources California Food Safety Act Signed Into Law, Officially Banning Four Toxic Additives by 2027Following California’s Example, New York State Bill Would Ban Five Most “Pervasive and Harmful” Chemical Food AdditivesFDA Proposes to Stop Allowing Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food, Says Red Dye 3 May Be Next   Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit!Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register before March 31 for a 10% early bird discount rate, plus use promo code “FSMatters15” for an extra 15% off registration. Yes, that’s a total discount of 25%! We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Sara Mortimore, VP for Food Safety at Walmart, discusses managing food safety, global consistency, continuous improvement, and technology trends in the food industry. She emphasizes the importance of trust with consumers and caring about food safety while adapting to changing retail trends.

The podcast discusses food safety concerns and regulations in 2023, including FDA's reorganization, infant formula safety, allergen guidelines, food traceability, food additives legislation, PFAS contamination, retail foodservice safety, and the impact of the documentary 'Poisoned'.

Sherry Brice, Chief Supply Chain Officer at W.K. Kellogg Co., discusses her career spanning food safety, business leadership, and teamwork. She shares insights on connecting food safety and supply chain operations, communicating the value of food safety to a business, and engaging with teams throughout a company. The episode highlights the importance of leveraging learning experiences, building business acumen, and fostering a supportive environment for long-term success.

Matt Brosseau, engineer and operations manager in the powdered infant formula industry, discusses the importance of equipment qualification in ensuring food safety. He highlights the significance of understanding and defining requirements for equipment qualification and offers services through Path Forward Consulting. Additionally, Matt explains the process of equipment qualification and emphasizes the importance of integrity and client prioritization.

Blake Harris and Alison Grantham discuss food processors preparing for FSMA 204 traceability requirements, including the use of antimicrobial blue light for treating listeria contamination, the importance of nomenclature and traceability, improving traceability with Ambient IoT, implementing traceability systems, the impact of FDA's final traceability rule on GDSC standards, and the importance of cooperation and technology in meeting traceability requirements.