Ep. 169. Live from the 2024 Food Safety Summit—Part 1

Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D., M.A., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and the Director of the Food Policy Institute at George Washington University's (GW's) Milken Institute School of Public Health. She also has an appointment in the U.S. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and is a fellow with the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness. Dr. Kowalcyk's research spans a range of topics related to food safety and infectious foodborne disease, and their intersection with nutrition security. She has extensively used epidemiologic methods, data analytics, and risk analysis to assess food safety risks and potential intervention strategies in both the U.S. and the Global South. Prior to joining GW in 2023, Dr. Kowalcyk was faculty at Ohio State University with appointments in the Department of Food Science and Technology and the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and directed the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention (CFI), a nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2006. Prior to joining OSU, she was a senior food safety and public health scientist at RTI International and a research assistant professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Science at North Carolina State University. Dr. Kowalcyk holds a B.A. degree in mathematics from the University of Dayton, an M.A. degree in Applied Statistics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health from the University of Cincinnati. She has served on many national committees, including two National Academy of Sciences committees and her current appointment to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Science Board.   In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Kowalcyk [39:50] about: Her research and advocacy work in the food safety realm, which focuses on advancing equitable food systems that promote public health and prevent foodborne illness How Dr. Kowalcyk's background and personal experiences shaped her career in food safety The interconnectedness of food safety, nutrition, and food security, and the need for an integrated approach to drive improvement in these three areas Dr. Kowalcyk's experience as part of the Reagan-Udall Foundation independent panel that conducted the 2022 evaluation of FDA's operations, and her impressions of the proposed reorganization plan for the agency's Human Foods Program The benefits of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and other technological advancements in foodborne illness outbreak detection and monitoring, and why “boots-on-the-ground” data is still crucial Current food safety challenges on Dr. Kowalcyk’s radar, like the effects of climate change on the safety of water used in food production and the need for workforce development in the food safety industry. News and Resources FDA Publishes FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule [7:41] USDA Testing Retail Ground Beef for HPAI H5N1; Maintains That U.S. Meat Supply is Safe [17:28] FDA Testing Finds HPAI in Retail Milk Samples; Research Required to Determine Infectivity, Food Safety Risk Florida Becomes First State to Ban Cell-Based Meat [23:50] Alabama Poised to Ban Cell-Based Meat Thanks, Sesame: U.S. Food Recalls Due to Undeclared Allergens Skyrocketed in 2023, Causing Half of All Food Recalls [32:53] Food Safety Summit 2024 Keynote: On-Demand Replay Now AvailableFood Industry Counsel—Food Recall Search We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2024 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Melody Ge, M.S., FSQA, Director at Starkist Co. and Co-Founder of Women in Food Safety (WIFS); Jacqueline Southee, Ph.D., North American Representative at Foundation FSSC and Co-Founder of WIFS; Jill Hoffman, M.S., Senior Director of Food Safety and Quality at B&G Foods; Anjan Chatterji, M.B.A., J.D., LL.M., CEO of NOMADX Holdings; Jorge Hernandez, Vice President of Quality Assurance at The Wendy’s Company; Chirag Bhatt, RS, CCFS, Director of Regulatory Affairs at HS GovTech Solutions; Tyler Williams, CEO of ASI Food; Marc Cwikowski and Tülay Kahraman, Co-Founders at World of Auditing; and Angela Nardone, COO of Share-ify. Discussions covered the advancement of female food safety professionals, allergen control in both foodservice and food processing, the future of food safety auditing, and other topics. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with: Melody, Jacqueline, and Jill [2:27] about the work of WIFS, and how women professionals in food safety can support themselves and each other Anjan [20:59] about how the NOMADX platform helps enhance food safety and save lives Jorge and Chirag [38:06] about the crucial importance of addressing allergens in both foodservice and food processing Tyler [58:08] about mitigating possible food safety risks posed by disgruntled employees Marc and Tülay [1:11:59] about the outcomes of a think tank on the future of food safety auditing, incorporating insights from more than 30 professionals from 18 countries Angela [1:28:31] about common gaps in food companies’ traceability programs and how Share-ify provides a solution. News and Resources: Stream On-Demand for Free: Recordings of FSS 2024 Keynote and Other Sessions FSS 2024 Town Hall with FDA, CDC, USDA, and AFDO FSS '24: Regulatory, Industry Experts Share Best Practices Around FSMA 204 and Traceability EffortsThe 26th Annual Food Safety Summit Attracts 3,400 Food Safety Professionals In Person and Virtually, a 26 Percent Increase From the 2023 Event Sponsored by: NOMADX ASI Food Safety Share-ify We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2024 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness and Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs (acting) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Matt Taylor, Global Senior Manager of Food Consulting and Technical Solutions at NSF; Lori Dodson, Senior Advisor at the Maryland Cannabis Administration and Kathy Knutson, Ph.D., PCQI, Founder of Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting LLC; William Erdely, Head of Client Development at Körber Supply Chain Consulting; Larry Keener, CFS, PA, President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants Inc. and Elizabeth (Liz) Presnell, J.D., Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer at Food Industry Counsel LLC; and Scott Jones, Director of North American Sales at Meritech. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with: Mitzi and Dr. Choiniere [3:26] about the joint Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness/FDA webinar series on food safety culture that produced 11 webinars, the final of which was presented live from the Summit Matt [14:56] about significant current events in food safety Dr. Knutson and Lori [35:53] about food safety regulation for cannabis-infused edibles and beverages William Erdely [55:33] about adapting to changes in food traceability requirements to enhance food safety Larry and Liz [1:22:11] about threats to food safety associated with legacy facilities and equipment, and how these hazards can be addressed Scott [1:40:11] about the use of automation to create a culture of hand hygiene compliance in the food sector. News and Resources: The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness/FDA Webinar Series FSS 2024 Town Hall with FDA, CDC, USDA, and AFDO FSS '24: Regulatory, Industry Experts Share Best Practices Around FSMA 204 and Traceability EffortsThe 26th Annual Food Safety Summit Attracts 3,400 Food Safety Professionals In Person and Virtually, a 26 Percent Increase From the 2023 Event Sponsored by: NSF Körber Supply Chain Consulting Meritech We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]  

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is an Associate Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as an M.S. degree in Poultry Science and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is molecular physiology, and she specializes in heat stress and gut health. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher about: How industry’s understanding of pest management’s role in food safety has evolved in recent years Why pests are often an overlooked source of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, and why darkling beetles, in particular, are important to consider as a possible contributor to Salmonella Insights on the darkling beetle, where darkling beetles are typically found, and how beetles can transmit disease The initiation and execution of a study that showed a correlation between beetle populations and Salmonella load in poultry flocks Current indicators of pre-harvest Salmonella load and how those indicators are managed, and why beetles can be a possible indicator of pre-harvest Salmonella load Actions producers can take to gain control of pest presence on farm How the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service' (USDA-FSIS') framework to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry may lead to producers prioritizing integrated pest management. Sponsored by: Elanco We Want to Hear from You!Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]  

Francine Shaw, CP-FS, FMP, is a food safety specialist, podcaster, speaker, entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Food Safety Inc., and the author of Who Watches the Kitchen? She has spent more than 30 years working in the foodservice industry and is committed to constantly evolving in the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. Her career has included performing services—such as operating partner, corporate/private trainer, health inspector, third-party inspector, and adjunct professor—in various sectors of the foodservice industry. Francine has also written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines and appeared on Dr. Oz, the BBC World Series Radio, and iHeart Radio as a food safety expert. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Francine [40:38] about: The importance of incorporating real-life anecdotes into food safety education to make it relatable and engaging to the audience The need for open discussions about real-world experiences in industry to address and correct issues effectively How performance rating systems can help identify and address problem areas or employees within a foodservice organization Why it is important to take a step back to understand the root causes of problems, rather than simply “putting out fires” Common mistakes foodservice businesses make related to their sanitation and hygiene practices, and possible solutions to address these pitfalls Technologies that can help improve food safety, and why it is important to embrace technology to keep up with regulatory demands and improve efficiency The lack of gender diversity in the food safety sector, and Francine’s personal experiences as a woman and an advocate for gender equality in the industry. News and Resources FDA Deputy Commissioner Details how FY 2025 Funds Will be Spent on Human Foods Priorities [4:08] Codex Meeting Ties Up Loose Ends on Newly Adopted Guidelines, Proposes New Work [11:50] Chick-fil-A Changes Antibiotic Use Policy for Chicken [14:09]Tyson Drops “No Antibiotics Ever” Label From Some Chicken Products Scientists Find Listeria, Microbial Populations Remain Stable Despite Cleaning at RTE Food Production Facilities [18:09] Novel Technology Shows Promise as Scalable PFAS Decontamination Method for Water [20:42] “Food Safety Insights: Rapid Testing Methods—The Future” [27:26] Who Watches the Kitchen? Book Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit! Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register with promo code “FSMatters15” for 15% off registration. We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

James (Jim) Jones joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2023 as the agency's first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. In this position, he leads the charge in setting and advancing priorities for a proposed, unified Human Foods Program, which includes food safety, chemical safety, and nutrition activities. He currently oversees the leadership of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR), until the proposed Human Foods Program reorganization is implemented. Jones came to FDA with intimate knowledge of the Human Foods program, having served on the Reagan-Udall Foundation's Independent Expert Panel that evaluated the program in 2022. He has decades of leadership experience and a track record of forging partnerships among diverse stakeholders and achieving dynamic results to improve public health. He previously served as a federal regulator of pesticides, toxic substances, chemical safety, and pollution prevention at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and made public health-based decisions grounded in sound science, public policy, and law. He was also a principal architect of the 2016 overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act and led several national-level sustainability programs, including the Environmental Preferable Purchasing Program and the Presidential Green Chemistry Awards Challenge. From 2017–2020, Jones worked for the Household and Commercial Products Association as Executive Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Industry Relations. He then ran his own company advising clients on issues related to chemical safety and sustainability. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jim [23:20] about: How his past experiences reviewing FDA’s Human Foods Program with the Reagan-Udall Foundation and working at EPA prepared him for his new role at FDA The importance of stakeholder engagement from the very beginning of decision-making processes The value and takeaways of the field tours that Jim has been making at industry and agency sites across the country How the work being conducting at FDA laboratories ties into FDA’s broader Human Foods Program goals The role of public interest entities in keeping the system honest and ensuring transparency, and the need for all stakeholder groups to collaborate with FDA to represent their interests Jim and FDA's collaboration with the FDA Foods Coalition, which was formed in October 2023 by a diverse group of stakeholders to advocate for an effective Human Foods Program The emerging patchwork of state regulations on food additives, and FDA’s desire to get ahead of state regulations with a more ambitious chemical safety agenda How the proposed Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation will handle chemical safety assessments in the future Recent public health events caused by the contamination of certain foods for infants and young children, and FDA's work with manufacturers of these foods to ensure food safety and maintain supply volumes FDA's Closer to Zero initiative to reduce heavy metals in baby foods and recent state bills that would require routine testing of baby foods by manufacturers, and how these legislative moves could be helpful to FDA The Food Safety Summit Town Hall on May 9, 2024, in Rosemont, Illinois, where Jim will participate as part of a panel of top food safety regulators and advisors including USDA, CDC, and AFDO. News and Resources Missouri, Washington Introduce Bills to Ban Same Food Additives as California Food Safety Act [5:11]California Bill Looks to Ban Artificial Dyes, Titanium Dioxide From Foods Served in Public Schools [5:52]Pennsylvania is Latest State to Introduce Food Additives Legislation, While Kentucky Urges FDA to Take Control [6:14]USDA Scientists Working on Method to Give Hens Ability to Pass on Salmonella Immunity to Chicks [10:50]Researchers Develop Hygienic Coating for Produce Storage Containers That Repels Bacteria, Fungi, Dirt [14:57]FDA to Engage With Stakeholders on Direction of New Era of Smarter Food Safety via Day-Long Virtual Event [17:49] Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit! Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register with promo code “FSMatters15” for 15% off registration. Sponsored by: Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

Robert (Bob) Manning, M.B.A., M.S., M.E.M., has worked in the food and beverage industry for over 25 years in various facility and senior corporate positions. He is currently CEO of Liquid, and formerly worked as Vice President of Technical Operations at Niagara Bottling. He has spent most of his time in Operations and Quality roles for large companies such as HP Hood LLC, Campbell's Soup, and Niagara Bottling, as well as consulting for major domestic and international firms. Bob is also the author of In the Midst of a Recall: Recall Management and Prevention Strategies in Real World Scenarios, which walks the reader through what actually happens in a major product recall, and he uses his website, Manning Resource, to provide helpful tips to prevent recalls. Throughout his career, Bob has led multiple investigations into product retrievals, market withdrawals, and recalls associated with various manufacturing defects and failures. He has extensive knowledge of plant operations and quality systems and has led numerous investigations to identify the mode of failure and put actions in place to prevent future failures. Bob holds a B.S. degree in Biology from Salem State University. After graduating and while working full-time, Bob managed to earn three master's degrees: an M.B.A. and a master's degree in engineering management from Western New England University, and a master's degree in food safety from Michigan State University. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in strategic management and executive leadership at Pennsylvania State University. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Bob [26:23] about: His career in the food and beverage industry and how his experience in quality assurance, operations, and plant management prepared him for recall and crisis management The importance of having a recall management plan, and how mock recalls can help test and refine such plans Establishing an escalation process and ensuring a properly staffed and prepared recall coordination team How everything said is “on the record,” as well as best practices to help companies communicate responsibly Working with and selecting external expert advisors during a recall investigation How to avoid making mistakes when restarting production after a food safety event has been resolved Why businesses should use mock recalls to test their traceability systems as the Food Traceability Final Rule compliance date nears Preventing future recalls by conducting thorough failure mode investigations and implementing effective solutions. News and Resources FDA Seeks $7.2 Billion Budget for 2025, a 7.4 Percent Increase [3:50] Another Bill Introduced in New York to Expand State Regulation of Food Additives [10:01] EU Poised to Make Sweeping Changes to Food Packaging Requirements, Includes PFAS Ban [13:58] New WHO Alliance for Food Safety to Increase Global Capacity for Foodborne Illness Surveillance [20:10] World Food Safety Day 2024 Urges Everyone to "Prepare for the Unexpected" [21:21] Manning Resource LLC 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]