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

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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

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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

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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

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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%!

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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"

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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.

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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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Sara Mortimore, M.Sc., FRSPH, MIFST, is the Vice President and Global Subject Matter Expert for Food Safety at Walmart Inc. In her role, Sara is responsible for the global development and oversight of all food safety programs, compliance, and initiatives for the company's 10,500 stores, owned manufacturing facilities, and distribution and fulfilment centers. This includes the supplier and supply chain food safety program.

Prior to joining Walmart in May 2019, Sara held the position of Vice President of Product Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Affairs with enterprise-wide responsibility at Land O'Lakes Inc. In this capacity, she covered both human and animal foods and supported nonprofit international development work.

Sara began her career with Glaxo SmithKline as a Research Technologist in research and development. In 1989, she joined Grand Metropolitan Foods, which later became Pillsbury and was subsequently incorporated by General Mills Inc. There, she held various roles leading supply chain food safety, quality, and regulatory teams in international markets.

Sara is also the co-author of several successful books, book chapters, and papers on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and food safety management. She has served on the board of trustees for the Royal Society of Public Health and is a Steering Committee member of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Sara also serves on the Educational Advisory Board of the Food Safety Summit.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Sara [3:53] about:

• The challenges and opportunities she has experienced throughout her career overseeing food safety at the world’s largest retailer, as well as major-brand food companies
• Lessons learned during Walmart’s testing phase of its Product Design Hazard Analysis (PDHA) program, a food safety program for private-label suppliers that was launched in 2022 and is now being rebranded as the Strive for Excellence program
• Walmart’s tech-driven efforts to improve food safety assurance and steps the company is taking to enable greater control over its supply chain
• Walmart’s “one global team” approach to food safety culture, and how Sara and her team works to instill this culture across the company and its supply chain, as well as how the success of these food safety culture efforts are measured
• Walmart’s membership with the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, and how Sara and the company work to demonstrate to consumers that food safety is a priority for Walmart
• Challenges Sara has experienced throughout her career when it comes to ensuring that supplier HACCP plans are adequate, especially when suppliers may span the globe and have access to different resources and technologies
• Sara’s views on the most crucial food safety issues for the retail sector and food industry to address in the near- and long-term.

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we review the top food safety stories of 2023 and their implications. Specifically, we discuss:

• Developments in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) restructuring of its Human Foods Program and Office of Regulatory Affairs
• Ongoing concerns around infant formula safety and supply, including new regulations and guidelines, and how the crisis served as the catalyst for the reorganization of FDA's Human Foods Program
• New allergen guidances delivered by authorities worldwide and growing global concern over industry compliance with food allergen requirements, as well as U.S. industry’s unexpected response to the FASTER Act, which added sesame as the ninth major allergen
• Industry’s ongoing efforts to comply with FDA's Final Food Traceability Rule, which goes into effect in January 2026
• The battle over food additives legislation in the U.S. at the state level and FDA’s efforts to get ahead of a possible regulatory patchwork
• The growing concern with per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in drinking water, food, the environment, and human bodies, leading to restrictions being placed on the use of these “forever chemicals” in food packaging and other applications
• The state of retail foodservice safety in the U.S.—especially in light of FDA releasing a new version of the Food Code—and in other countries
• The release of the Netflix documentary Poisoned, which put food safety in a unique spotlight, sparking conversations and debate among industry and consumers alike.

News and Resources

Reorganization of FDA’s Human Foods Program [6:05]

• New Stakeholder Coalition Formed to Advocate for Effective FDA Human Foods Program
• FDA Announces Appointment of Jim Jones as First Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods
• Latest Update on FDA Human Foods Reorganization Reveals Major Changes to ORA
• Frank Yiannas to Resign as FDA’s Deputy Commissioner of Food Policy and Response
• Food Safety Priorities—Your Thoughts on FDA's Proposed Reorganization (Food Safety Insights column from Food Safety Magazine)

Ongoing Concerns Around Infant Formula [14:21]

• FDA Updates Infant Formula Compliance Program, Puts Emphasis on Cronobacter, Salmonella
• FDA Updates on Prevention Strategy for Cronobacter Contamination of Infant Formula
• Cronobacter to be Added to the List of Nationally Notifiable Diseases
• FDA Releases Review of Response to Infant Formula Supply Crisis, Addresses Improvements
• After Finding Cronobacter, FDA Issues Warning Letters to Three Infant Formula Manufacturers
• FDA Asks Infant Formula Industry to Double-Check Food Safety Controls
• DOJ Criminally Investigates Abbott Nutrition After Fatal Outbreak Linked to Infant Formula

Global Focus on Allergens and on Sesame in the U.S. [22:31]

• FDA Updates Guidance to Address Food Manufacturers Circumventing Allergen Cross-Contact Requirements for Sesame
• FDA Revises Labeling Requirements in Guidance Documents to Include Sesame as Major Allergen
• Most Major Food Allergen Recalls Caused by Preventable Labeling Errors, Study Finds
• FAO/WHO Recommend Uniform Precautionary Allergen Labeling as Codex Develops Guidance
• UK FSA Updates Guidance on Precautionary Allergen Labeling, Clarifies “Vegan” vs. “Free-From”
• Milk Causes Most Food Allergen Recalls in UK, Study Finds
• Sweden to Develop a National Strategy for Food Allergies
• One in Four Swedish Restaurants Provide Incorrect Allergen Information
• 6 of 10 Dutch Businesses Not Providing Adequate Allergen Information for Non-Prepacked Foods
• Food Allergy Canada Releases Allergen Management Guidelines, Focus on Labeling
• Ma and D’lima: How FDA Enforces Allergen Requirements and Recalls to Ensure Food Safety (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Beat the Recall: Effective Allergen Control in Food Manufacturing (Food Safety Magazine webinar)
• Safely Serving All: Allergen Control and Response in Retail Foodservice (Food Safety Magazine webinar)

FDA Food Traceability Final Rule Compliance Efforts [32:03]

• FDA Releases Guidance for Sprout Operations Under Produce Safety Rule, States FSMA 204 Inspections Will Begin 2027
• FDA Releases FSMA 204 FAQs, Tools, Resources
• FDA Releases Small Business Compliance Guide for FSMA Traceability Rule
• FDA Goes In-Depth About FSMA Food Traceability Final Rule
• CAST, IFT Publish Traceability Issue Paper to Help Industry Improve Food Safety
• GS1 US Publishes Food Traceability Final Rule Guidance
• Digitized Supply Chains Deliver Improved Visibility, Traceability, and Happy Customers
• How the Food Traceability Rule will Impact Food Processors—Part 1 (Food Safety Insights column from Food Safety Magazine)
• How the Food Traceability Rule will Impact Food Processors—Part 2 (Food Safety Insights column from Food Safety Magazine)
• Friedlander and Lasprogata: FDA and Industry Perspectives on FSMA 204 (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Ep. 158. Harris and Grantham: How Food Processors are Preparing to Meet FSMA 204 Traceability Requirements (Food Safety Matters podcast)

Food Additives Legislation [40:20]

• California Food Safety Act Signed Into Law, Officially Banning Four Toxic Additives by 2027
• Following California’s Example, New York State Bill Would Ban Five Most “Pervasive and Harmful” Chemical Food Additives
• Study Supports Food Safety of Titanium Dioxide, Addresses Data Gaps
• FDA Proposes to Stop Allowing Brominated Vegetable Oil in Food, Says Red Dye 3 May Be Next

Retail Foodservice Safety [49:55]

• FDA Releases 2022 Food Code
• Pennsylvania, Mississippi First to Adopt 2022 Version of FDA Food Code, According to Status Report
• 40 Percent of Retail Foodborne Illness Outbreaks Linked to Sick Employees, Says CDC
• CDC Study Highlights Restaurant Characteristics Most Associated With Food Cross-Contamination
• USDA-FSIS Updates Guidance for Controlling Listeria in Delis
• EU Study Reveals Barriers to and Benefits of Adopting Digital Technologies for Retail Food Safety Inspections
• Australia Updates Food Safety Standards for Foodservice, Retail Sector
• WHO Releases Manual for Improving Safety of Traditional Food Markets
• Ep. 154. Guzzle, Ham, Lewis, Pierce: 30th Anniversary and Ongoing Implementation of FDA's Food Code (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Ep. 151. Pierce, Morales, and Quam: Behavioral Science of Food Safety in Small-Scale Retail Foodservice (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Pierce, Chapman, and Zimmerman: The Behavioral Science of Retail Food Safety Culture (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Retail Sector Faces "New Era" of Food Safety Regulatory Focus (FSM eDigest feature article)
• Current States of Food Safety Culture and FSMSs in Food Establishments (Food Safety Magazine cover story)
• New Uses for Existing Technologies to Reduce the Risk of Persistent Pathogens on Surfaces in Retail Foodservice (Food Safety Magazine column)
• Food Safety Leadership in the Business of Food Safety (digital book)

PFAS Concerns and Restrictions [59:04]

• EPA to Regulate Certain PFAS as Contaminants, Set Limits in Drinking Water
• Half of U.S. Drinking Water Contaminated by Toxic PFAS, Reports USGS
• EPA Releases First Dataset for Three-Year Project Monitoring PFAS, Lithium in U.S. Drinking Water
• FDA Provides Updates on PFAS Testing, Research
• PFAS Found in Eggs Laid by Hens that are Fed Contaminated Feed
• Study Shows “Significant Risk of Exposure” to PFAS from Food, Pesticide Packaging
• One Serving of Freshwater Fish Equivalent to Drinking PFAS-Contaminated Water for a Month, U.S. Study Finds
• “Safer” PFAS Types Used in Food Packaging Still Hazardous, Study Finds
• 3M Will Stop PFAS Manufacturing by the End of 2025
• Sabert Commits to Eliminating PFAS from All Products by End of 2023
• Study Suggests Strong Link Between PFAS Consumption and Thyroid Cancer; No End to PFAS Exposure in Sight
• Study Associates Exposure to Multiple PFAS with Metabolic, Thyroid Harm
• Minnesota Poised to Ban Nearly All Uses of PFAS
• EU Sets Limits for PFAS in Certain Foods
• Experts Urge Overhaul of UK Standards for PFAS in Drinking Water, Report Concerning Levels of Contamination
• PFAS in Food Packaging: Is it Time to Consider a Change? (Food Safety Magazine column)

Netflix’s Poisoned Documentary [1:09:30]

• Poisoned—Book on Prominent Foodborne Illness Outbreak—Getting New Edition, Netflix Documentary
• Ep. 153. Dr. Darin Detwiler: Reflections on Netflix's Poisoned and 30 Years of Food Safety Advocacy (Food Safety Matters podcast)
• Ep. 128. Bill Marler: Perspectives on Poisoned and Food Safety Progress (Food Safety Matters podcast)

Sponsored by:

SafetyChain

We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

Sherry Brice, M.B.A. is Chief Supply Chain Officer at W.K. Kellogg Co. She was formerly Vice President of Global Quality and Food Safety at the Kellogg Company, overseeing end-to-end food safety and quality for Kellogg's internal and external network. Sherry has over 20 years of experience in the industry and joined Kellogg in 2012 as part of the Pringles acquisition from Procter & Gamble. She has served in numerous supply chain roles in the company, ranging from operations to quality.

Sherry is on the SSAFE board of directors and is affiliated with a number of other industry associations such as Stop Foodborne Illness, where she is an Alliance member. Sherry is also the Executive Sponsor for the Kellogg African American Resource Group (KAARG). Sherry holds M.B.A. and B.S. degrees in Business Management and is a member of the Golden Key International Honors Society.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Sherry [26:37] about:

• Her career spanning food safety, supply chain, and customer service roles at global food production companies, and how the lessons she has learned in each position have built upon one another
• A holistic approach that food industry professionals should apply to their work to carve a path into high-level business leadership
• How to “connect the dots” between food safety and quality assurance (FSQA) and supply chain operations by communicating the value of food safety to a business
• How to communicate and engage with teams throughout a business to ensure that food safety is a priority to all functions
• Ways to balance big-picture projects that drive business innovation with detail-oriented tasks that keep a supply chain running smoothly
• Qualities that help business leaders earn respect and equip them to make tough but necessary decisions.

News and Resources

Adoption of New Food Safety Standards at 46th Session of Codex Alimentarius Commission [9:36]Cantaloupes Contaminated With Salmonella Sicken More Than 100 People in U.S. and Canada, Cause Deaths [12:40]Outbreak Insights: "What Was Not Learned from the FDA Investigation of Salmonella on Cantaloupe in 2022?" From Food Safety Magazine December ‘23/January ‘24IFSAC 2021 Foodborne Illness Source Attribution Report Shows Salmonellosis Caused by Variety of Foods [16:38]FDA Publishes Redundancy Risk Management Plan Guide for Producers of Critical Foods [22:16]FDA Releases New Resources for Food Traceability Final Rule Compliance [23:14]

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]