Food Safety Matters is a podcast for food safety professionals hosted by the Food Safety Magazine editorial team – the leading media brand in food safety for over 20 years. Each episode will feature a conversation with a food safety professional sharing their experiences and insights into the important job of safeguarding the world's food supply.
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Données mises à jour le 28/10/2026
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Ep. 228. Adam Holt, BCE: Smarter Pest Management, From IPM to AI
mardi 27 octobre 2026 • Durée 01:12:15
Adam Holt, BCE is a Board Certified Entomologist with decades of hands-on experience. He is the Founder and Principal Consultant at NameDatBug, a pest control consulting firm grounded in real-world success across every level of the pest control industry. Adam has held executive roles at several PCT Top 100 companies and brings unmatched industry expertise to every engagement. He holds a patent for an electronic rodent monitoring device, has worked in pest control software development, and has collaborated closely with manufacturers and distributors on both product design and market strategy.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Adam [25:47] about:
How his experience across pest management, consulting, and other sectors has shaped his approach to developing effective IPM programs for food facilities
Common pest management vulnerabilities in food processing facilities, including structural gaps, conducive conditions, sanitation deficiencies, and inadequate internal quality assurance (QA) programs
How electronic remote monitoring technologies can improve rodent detection, identify pest activity trends, and help technicians prioritize inspections and corrective actions
The benefits and limitations of AI-assisted pest identification, including concerns about accuracy, image quality, and the importance of expert verification
Why food safety teams must understand pest management service reports, monitoring data, and digital logbooks to evaluate program effectiveness
Common pest management audit deficiencies, including inadequate documentation, unreported conducive conditions, and failure to document corrective actions when pest activity thresholds are exceeded
How food facilities can integrate IPM into their broader food safety and QA programs through routine inspections, proactive prevention, and oversight of pest control providers
How changing weather patterns, emerging pest pressures, and restrictions on rodenticides and other control methods may influence future pest management strategies.
We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
Ep. 227. Michael Ciepiela: Gap Assessments, Audit Readiness, and Continuous Improvement
mardi 13 octobre 2026 • Durée 01:07:20
Michael Ciepiela is Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Southern Specialties. He brings over a decade of diverse experience in the food and beverage industry, along with experience in the pharmaceutical sector, specializing in quality assurance and food safety. Throughout his career, he has excelled in multi-site implementation and adherence to GFSI requirements and regulations. Michael has also been instrumental in promoting and educating Lean Six Sigma principles in fast-paced, cross-departmental settings. As a recognized thought leader, he frequently speaks at national conferences. He is also a senior member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Michael holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Alfred University and a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from Villanova University.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Michael [33:14] about:
What an effective, unbiased gap assessment looks like, common mistakes companies make, and how assessments can reveal opportunities for meaningful improvement
How food safety and quality leaders can assess a new organization's current state and determine which quality and operational priorities require attention first
How to distinguish isolated compliance issues from systemic problems involving processes, resources, leadership, organizational structure, or food safety culture
What continuous audit readiness looks like in practice, and how companies can replace last-minute audit preparation with sustainable, everyday systems
Practical strategies for building accountability for food safety and quality across departments and translating food safety culture goals into concrete action
How Lean Six Sigma and continuous improvement methodologies can strengthen food safety and quality without allowing efficiency or productivity goals to take precedence
How organizations can select and use meaningful KPIs to evaluate whether food safety and quality systems are actually improving over time
Why some organizations achieve sustainable operational excellence, while others repeatedly react to the same food safety, quality, and operational problems.
News and Resources
Brashears and Rottenberg: Consumer Education as a Food Safety Essential
mardi 29 septembre 2026 • Durée 33:37
Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Under Secretary for Food Safety. She previously served as Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. Dr. Brashears returns to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.
Dr. Brashears' research program has advanced food safety in meat and poultry production, with a focus on public health. Her work evaluated interventions in pre- and post-harvest environments and antimicrobial drug resistance in animal feeding systems. She has led international research teams across the globe to enhance food safety, security, and sustainable agriculture systems. Her research has resulted in more than 20 patents and patents pending for innovations in food safety.
Beyond academia, Dr. Brashears has held leadership roles on boards and advisory committees, including the American Meat Science Association, the Development Council, the International Stockman's Educational Foundation, and the Protein Pact. She was a founding member of the SAFE Think Tank and has chaired the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security and the USDA's multi-state research group. Her contributions have earned national and international recognition, including induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, Fellow status in the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) and the National Academy of Inventors, and numerous awards from leading associations.
Carmen Rottenberg is a leader in food safety and agriculture policy, serving as Managing Director of Groundswell Strategy a Board Member for the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Prior to launching Groundswell Strategy, Carmen served as Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Over her 13 years with USDA, Carmen held several leadership roles and was credited with spearheading key agency initiatives including modernizing food safety inspection systems and establishing and updating pathogen performance standards. Carmen has extensive experience achieving collaboration across federal, state, and municipal agencies including with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with state departments of agriculture and across USDA's 29 agencies and offices.
Ep. 226: Jules Shepard: From Celiac Disease Advocacy to Gluten-Free Food Manufacturing
mardi 22 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:12:17
Jules Shepard is the CEO and Founder of gfJules, the number-one‑voted gluten‑free flour and baking mixes company in the United States. A recognized gluten‑free baking expert, she has authored three award‑winning books in the field and recently released a new cookbook dedicated to gluten‑free bread. A long‑standing and respected leader in the gluten‑free and food allergy community, Jules championed the gluten‑free food labeling movement in 2011. Her tireless advocacy, education, and lobbying efforts culminated in her receiving the first‑ever "Gluten Free Person of the Decade" award in 2020.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jules [32:50] about:
How her celiac disease diagnosis led her from practicing law to consumer advocacy and eventually gluten-free food manufacturing
The consumer challenges that prompted grassroots advocacy for standardized FDA requirements governing "gluten-free" labeling
What food safety professionals should understand about celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, exposure risks, and consumers' need for vigilance
Essential manufacturing controls, certifications, supplier practices, and other safeguards for producing trusted gluten-free and allergen-free foods
Gaps in U.S. gluten labeling requirements, including the treatment of wheat, barley, rye, and related hybrids
How gluten cross-contact, ingredients derived from gluten-containing grains, and voluntary precautionary statements can complicate consumers' evaluation of packaged foods
How regulators can approach thresholds, precautionary allergen labeling, and substantiation of "free-from" claims while considering practical implications for manufacturers
Where the gluten-free and allergen-free food sector needs to go next to better address the needs of consumers with celiac disease and food allergies.
Ep. 225. Yasuda, Boeffard, Boyce: The Stop Alliance Mentorship Program: Lessons Learned and Collaborations Shared
mardi 8 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:24:33
Lily Yasuda is the Deputy Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, where she leads national initiatives that bring together food industry leaders to strengthen food safety culture and support continuous learning across the sector. She oversees collaborative working groups that develop practical, accessible tools to help companies share best practices and improve food safety outcomes. Prior to joining the Alliance, Lily held leadership roles across nonprofit organizations in the U.S., managing large-scale programs and partnerships. Her work focuses on building cross-industry collaboration, translating complex topics into actionable insights, and elevating the human stories behind food safety.
Athenais Boeffard is a collaborative and people-focused production leader with over a decade of experience in food manufacturing and food safety. As Vice President of Production at Bread Alone Bakery, she oversees daily operations to deliver high-quality, organic baked goods that meet rigorous food safety and sustainability standards. Originally from France, Athenais holds an M.S. degree in Engineering and studied Food Science at Mississippi State University. She has led teams through operational change, built systems for continuous improvement, and fostered a culture where food safety is a shared responsibility. Athenais brings optimism and energy to her work every day, creating an environment where teams feel empowered, engaged, and proud of the food they produce.
John Boyce has over 45 years of experience in various aspects of food production, food safety, quality assurance, sanitation, training, and auditing. He spent 25 years with Trident Seafoods, starting as a crab fisherman and then working in roles as plant manager, corporate human resources, regulatory compliance, national account sales, FSQA, and then as Director of Training and Development for the company. John is now an independent food safety consultant based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He enjoys working with clients to help them ensure food-safe products, and he is an expert partner and Core Team Member at Cultivate SA, helping assess and change food safety culture in food businesses. John is a citizen of both the U.S. and Canada and has a broad understanding of the cultures and food companies across the two countries.
Rhodes Yepsen joined the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) in 2015, where he leads the organization's efforts to promote the value of compostable products. Rhodes is passionate about systems-based solutions, where there is synergy in solving for food waste and packaging simultaneously—addressing climate change, ecosystem impacts, and regenerative agriculture. Previously, he served on the Board of USCC, worked for biopolymer producer Novamont, and was a staff editor and writer at BioCycle magazine.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Rhodes [30:05] about:
An overview of California bills AB 2226, AB 1812, and SB 1031, and why the proposed packaging policies matter to food processors and packaging manufacturers nationwide
Potential compliance challenges for food companies navigating evolving California packaging requirements while trying to maintain consistent packaging systems across multiple markets
How compostable food packaging and organics diversion programs can contribute to food waste reduction and broader sustainability goals within the food industry
Why packaging decisions must account for food safety, shelf life, and product protection alongside sustainability and end-of-life considerations
BPI's concerns about the proposals and the revisions it would like lawmakers to consider to support composting infrastructure, organics diversion, and sustainable packaging
Key factors food processors should weigh when selecting packaging amid changing regulations, including food safety requirements, shelf-life needs, and sustainability commitments
How policymakers, food manufacturers, and packaging suppliers can collaborate on sustainable packaging solutions without compromising food safety, product quality, or consumer confidence.
Ep. 223. Brittney Miller: HACCP, SQF, and Food Safety on America's First Quail Farm
mardi 11 août 2026 • Durée 01:12:01
Brittney Miller is President of Manchester Farms, America's first quail farm. What started over 40 years ago as a backyard hobby has grown into a nationally recognized, family-owned business that produces more than 80,000 quail weekly, raising them responsibly, without antibiotics or hormones, and shipping premium products to chefs, retailers, and home cooks across the country. Brittney's story is about more than farming: it is about stewardship, innovation, and family values. She combines her passion for sustainable agriculture with modern food safety standards. Her SQF Level 2 certified, HACCP-compliant farm sets the benchmark for quality in specialty poultry.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brittney [28:27] about:
The history of Manchester Farms, America's first quail farm, and how the Miller family built a vertically integrated specialty poultry operation
How food safety considerations for quail production compare with those for more conventional poultry, including unique challenges and operational considerations
What SQF Level 2 certification and a HACCP program look like in practice within a specialty poultry production environment
How HACCP guides day-to-day operations, and how it has evolved as production expands and processes change
Live From IAFP with USDA Leaders—New Strategies for Salmonella, AI, and Inspection Tech
jeudi 6 août 2026 • Durée 44:43
Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety. Dr. Brashears previously served as Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. Dr. Brashears returns to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.
Dr. Brashears' research program has advanced food safety in meat and poultry production, with a focus on public health. Her work evaluated interventions in pre- and post-harvest environments and antimicrobial drug resistance in animal feeding systems. She has led international research teams across the globe to enhance food safety, security, and sustainable agriculture systems. Her research has resulted in more than 20 patents and patents pending for innovations in food safety.Beyond academia, Dr. Brashears has held leadership roles on boards and advisory committees, including the American Meat Science Association, the Development Council, the International Stockman's Educational Foundation, and the Protein Pact. She was a founding member of the SAFE Think Tank and has chaired the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security and the USDA's multi-state research group. Her contributions have earned national and international recognition, including induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, Fellow status in the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) and the National Academy of Inventors, and numerous awards from leading associations.
Justin Ransom, Ph.D. is Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where he oversees FSIS' mission to ensure the safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling of America's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. He leads the agency's modernization efforts, streamlining inspection systems, strengthening public health protections, and advancing science-based policies.
Dr. Ransom brings more than 20 years of executive leadership in food safety, quality systems, animal welfare and sustainability. Immediately prior to his appointment, he served as senior director of sustainable food strategy at Tyson Foods, where he spearheaded enterprise-wide sustainability programs. His diverse industry experience also includes roles at McDonald's and OSI Group, where he managed and advanced complex food supply chains across global markets.
Ep. 222. Elena Medo: Food Safety Lessons From the Global Infant Formula Cereulide Recall
mardi 28 juillet 2026 • Durée 01:28:28
Elena Medo, M.B.A. is an entrepreneur, researcher, and inventor who has spent nearly 40 years transforming neonatal care through leadership and innovation. She has secured numerous patents, raised over $40 million across four companies, and built a legacy of firsts, including the first commercially available shelf-stable donor breast milk product; the first milk bank owned exclusively by nursing mothers; and the first medical device designed to analyze human milk. Today, as CEO and co-founder of Leonie Health PBC, established in 2023 with her daughter, Adrianne Weir, Elena is developing a revolutionary product that replicates the immune properties of colostrum to protect preterm infants against the three deadliest neonatal infections—necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAC), and sepsis—which together claim the lives of more than 30,000 hospitalized infants per year.
Elena's work is driven by an unwavering commitment to ensure that human milk's unparalleled bioactive benefits reach the world's most vulnerable patients. Companies she has founded—including Prolacta Bioscience, Medolac Laboratories, North American Instruments, and White River Concepts—have applied disruptive technologies to serve the 15 million preterm infants born each year. A frequent speaker at neonatal, women's health, and leadership conferences, Elena holds an M.B.A. degree in Healthcare Management from the University of California, Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business and is widely recognized for assembling world-class teams to solve critical challenges in infant health.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Elena [38:58] about:
Her work in human milk science and the founding of Leonie Health, which offers bioactive infant nutritional products mimicking colostrum to support neonatal health and early development
Reflections on the recent global infant formula recall due to cereulide contamination, which affected 99 countries and multiple brands
Why U.S. disease surveillance systems might miss or misclassify infant foodborne illness cases
What the cereulide incident reveals about risks for infants in neonatal intensive care (NICU) and donor milk settings
Improvements to public health and laboratory systems that would enable earlier detection and response to infant formula contamination incidents and related illnesses
Elanco: Summer Fly Pressure, Food Safety, and Smarter IPM in Poultry Houses
vendredi 24 juillet 2026 • Durée 22:40
Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a master's degree in poultry science and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM).
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher [1:39] about:
The seasonal conditions that allow fly populations to surge and become more difficult to control during the summer months
The food safety risks posed by flies in preharvest poultry operations
The benefits of fitting fly control into a broader IPM strategy
The initial signs of increasing fly activity and the first steps that integrators and applicators should take to respond
How insecticides like Agita can be used in combination with monitoring, sanitation, and other pest management practices for effective fly control.
We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
Carmen began her federal career in the Federal Trade Commission's Office of General Counsel and has experience working in both the public and private sectors. She holds a B.A. degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Hope College and a J.D. from American University's Washington College of Law.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Brashears and Carmen [4:02] about:
Why consumer food safety education remains essential to foodborne illness prevention alongside safeguards throughout food production, processing, inspection, and regulation
How USDA approaches its role in educating consumers about safe food handling and what effective consumer food safety education looks like
Where consumers fit within the shared responsibility for food safety across the farm-to-fork continuum
The respective roles of government, industry, and nonprofit organizations in supporting consumers and advancing food safety education
Key challenges in translating established, science-based food safety recommendations, including "Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill," into consistent consumer behaviors
How social media, influencers, news outlets, government agencies, and other information sources are affecting consumer trust and food safety messaging
Opportunities to make consumer food safety education more effective and accessible through partnerships, communication strategies, educational resources, and targeted outreach
Which safe food handling behaviors deserve greater consumer attention, and how food safety professionals can reinforce those messages beyond National Food Safety Education Month.
We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
With roots in production agriculture, Dr. Ransom has worked as a scientist, livestock breeder, and global supply chain leader, deepening his first-hand knowledge of end-to-end food system management. He began his public service career at USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, contributing to the development of technical standards for the National School Lunch Program, instrument grading systems, and international trade facilitation.
Dr. Ransom holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University and earned an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Michigan State University and Colorado State University, respectively.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Brashears [4:35] about:
USDA-FSIS' in-progress plans for its Salmonella SAFE Strategy, encompassing a new Salmonella Gold Standard
The data FSIS will be gathering across all poultry facilities and at individual establishments producing higher-risk products
How the new data-gathering initiatives will help FSIS spot trends sooner and take faster action to address food safety issues
FSIS' updated approach to Listeria compliance, and how it plans to address the overreliance among small establishments on compliance method Alternative 3
FSIS' creation of a new Office of Food Safety Scientific Panel, and the areas of FSIS work in which this scientific expertise will be utilized
We also speak with Dr. Ransom [20:11] about:
How USDA-FSIS is shifting from examining individual inspection findings to analyzing connected datasets, and how this will optimize FSIS inspection work
FSIS' use of AI and large language models to help identify food safety risks, and the safeguards FSIS is putting in place to ensure the scientific accuracy and transparency of these tools
How video-enabled glasses and AI-assisted imaging could change how inspections are conducted in the field
How FSIS is preparing inspectors and veterinarians to work alongside new data and AI-enabled tools
The importance of retaining human judgment in food safety oversight as these emerging technologies are rolled out across FSIS departments
The importance of infant-specific toxicological reference values for contaminants like cereulide, such as those recently established in the EU, and how the EU's response could influence regulatory approaches to other emerging hazards in infant foods
Leonie Health's process for verifying the safety of donor milk
Key principles for clinicians, hospitals, and parents to consider when making decisions about infant feeding when contamination events affect commercial formula products.
We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
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