Food Safety Matters

Edward G. Dudley, Ph.D. is the Director of the E. coli Reference Center and a Professor of Food Science at the Pennsylvania State University. He has a broad background in molecular biology, physiology, and foodborne bacteria genomics, with expertise in both beneficial and pathogenic species. His current research program focuses on factors that drive the virulence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and the development of DNA sequence-based methods for tracking pathogen spread during foodborne illness outbreaks, including wastewater monitoring. Dr. Dudley is a past Chair of the Food Microbiology Division of the American Society of Microbiology (ASM), the Food Microbiology Representative to ASM's Council of Microbial Sciences, and a previous member of ASM's Microbe Program Committee. In 2019, he was appointed an ASM Distinguished Lecturer and Co-Editor of the Evolution and Genomics domain for ASM's online journal, EcoSal Plus. He was also elected to the American Academy of Microbiology in 2023. Dr. Dudley holds a Ph

Phil Kafarakis is the President and CEO of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, formerly known as the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association. He is responsible for overseeing IFMA's day-to-day operations and directing the activities of the association in support of its policies, goals, and objectives. Phil is a highly accomplished senior executive with broad experience leading major food industry companies and associations. He began his industry career in the manufacturing sector, successfully leading and managing businesses at Kraft, Jones Dairy Farm, Cargill, and McCormick & Co., where he also served on IFMA's Board of Directors. He also previously served as President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) and as the Chief Innovation and Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association (NRA). In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Phil [21:13] about: The decision to rebrand the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association as IFMA The Food Away

Mark Carter is the Senior Software Product Manager at Hygiena. He assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) at the conclusion of the IAFP Annual Meeting in July 2024. Mr. Carter has extensive international business and technical experience. He most recently served as COO of Matrix Sciences, as well as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, where he was responsible for Matrix Sciences Mergers and Acquisitions activity. He previously held positions as CEO of QC Laboratories and Corporate Vice President of Research and Development with the Silliker Group Corporation (now Mérieux NutriSciences). He has served within the food industry as Section Manager for Microbiology and Food Safety at Kraft Foods and Corporate Laboratory Group Leader at McKee Foods Corporation. An active member of IAFP since 1993, Mr. Carter has served on the Maurice Weber Laboratorian Selection Committee, the Food Protection Trends Editorial Board, the Nominating Committee, the Jour

Jason Evans, Ph.D. is the Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology (CFIT) at Johnson & Wales University, which offers baccalaureate and graduate programming in Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Culinary Nutrition, Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Food Systems. Formerly, Dr. Evans was an Associate Professor of Agricultural Business Management at the State University of New York's College of Agriculture and Technology, Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill), where he also served as the Director of the Institute for Rural Vitality and Chair of the Department of Agriculture and Food Management. Before joining the SUNY Cobleskill faculty in 2009, Dr. Evans was an Assistant Research Professor at West Virginia University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics in 2007. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Evans [47:30] about: His role as the Keynote Presenter at the 2025 Food Safety Summit in May, and what he is looking forward to at the Summit The top

Kimberly Baker, Ph.D. serves as the Food Systems and Safety Program Team Director and an Associate Extension Specialist with the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. She received her Ph.D. in Food Technology from Clemson University and is both a registered and licensed dietitian, as well as a trained chef. Since joining Clemson Extension in 2007 as a Food Safety and Nutrition Agent in Greenville County, Dr. Baker has become a leading authority in food safety and education. She is a certified Seafood HACCP Trainer and Instructor, a Food Safety Preventive Controls Lead Instructor for both Human and Animal Food, a certified Produce Safety Alliance Lead Trainer, and a ServSafe® Instructor/Proctor. Dr. Baker is passionate about empowering others through education. She leverages her extensive expertise to teach home food preservation, promote consumer food safety, and support food entrepreneurs in achieving their goals. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Baker [33:43] about:

Natalie Rainer, J.D., M.P.H. is a Partner and a Member of K&L Gates LLP's Health Care and FDA practice. She focuses her practice primarily in the food and beverage industry. Natalie practices food and drug law, advising clients on regulatory requirements for foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and food and drug packaging in jurisdictions around the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Natalie has in-depth experience in evaluating the regulatory status of food additives, color additives, and food contact materials. She counsels companies on advertising and labeling requirements, including claim substantiation, nutrition labeling, menu labeling, and environmental claims. She also provides guidance regarding compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations, including the Bioengineered Labeling rules, organic rules, and regulations related to additives in meat and poultry products. Natalie holds a J.D. from Georgetown University, an M.P.H. d

Lucy Angarita is the Director of Food Supply Chain visibility at GS1 US, where she works with retail, grocery, foodservice, and healthcare companies to increase data quality, operational efficiencies, and full supply chain traceability. With over 20 years of experience in program management and process improvement, as well as a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, she has a passion for solving complex problems and delivering value to customers and stakeholders. Prior to joining GS1 US, she led a team at Independent Purchasing Cooperative that focused on supply chain data governance and GS1 standards adoption, as well as incident management, for the SUBWAY® system. She also participated in various GS1 workgroups to collaborate and promote trading partner alignment in the foodservice industry. Lucy has a strong background in food safety and quality, and she is committed to advancing the adoption of GS1 standards for enhanced traceability and transparency in the food supply chain. In this episode of Food Safet

Haley F. Oliver, Ph.D. is the Director of the Feed the Future Food Safety Innovation Lab at Purdue University. She is also the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars and the 150th Anniversary Professor of Food Science at Purdue University, renowned for her expertise in food safety microbiology. She earned dual B.S. degrees in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from the University of Wyoming in 2004, followed by a Ph.D. in Food Science, with minors in Epidemiology and Microbiology, from Cornell University in 2009. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell, Dr. Oliver joined Purdue University in 2010. Her research focuses on the prevalence, persistence, and control of foodborne pathogens, particularly Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella in retail food environments. She has been instrumental in developing practical strategies to mitigate cross-contamination in food systems. In June 2019, Dr. Oliver became the Director of the Feed the Future Food Safety Innovation Lab, leadi

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2024 and their implications. We cover: The Boar's Head Listeria Outbreak [6:24] USDA Announces Immediate Changes to Listeria Rule, Inspections for RTE Food Facilities Following Deadly Listeria Outbreak, USDA Launches Internal Investigation Into How it Handled Boar’s Head’s Unsanitary Production Facility Congress Members Question USDA About Failure to Prevent Fatal Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak Boar’s Head to Face Criminal Investigation Over Listeria Outbreak as Tenth Death is Reported  Following Outbreak, Boar’s Head Forms Food Safety Council of Top Experts, Closes Facility, Discontinues Liverwurst Inspection Reports Show Mold, Insects, Meat Residues, and More at Boar’s Head Facility Responsible for Listeria Outbreak Boar’s Head RTE Deli Meats Recalled After Two Listeriosis Deaths It's Time to Reformulate Deli Meats to Reduce the Risk of Listeria monocytogenes—Feature story for Food Safety Magazine December ‘24/January ’25, by

Justyce Jedlicka serves as the Food and Beverage Regulatory Liaison in North America for MilliporeSigma, where she is responsible for engaging with influencers in the food and beverage industry to align initiatives with regulatory compliance and promote best practices for food safety and quality testing methods. Justyce has been serving the food and beverage industry since 2013, and received both a B.S. degree in Chemistry and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. She currently serves as the Food Sciences Section Chair and Executive Board Member of the American Council of Independent Labs, and is a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), and AOAC International. Sally Powell Price is MilliporeSigma's Regulatory and Public Health Expert for Food and Beverage Safety Testing in North America. Previously, she served as Director of Lab Operations at a biotech startup in Boston and was the Food Lab Su

Thomas Gremillion, J.D., M.A. is the Director of Food Policy at the Consumer Federation of America (CFA). He oversees research, analysis, advocacy, and media outreach for the group's food policy activities, and monitors food safety activities at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and in Congress, where he advocates for strong food safety protections for consumers. He also coordinates the Safe Food Coalition, a group of consumer, trade union, and foodborne illness victim organizations dedicated to reducing foodborne illness by improving government food inspection programs. Prior to joining CFA in 2015, Gremillion practiced environmental law at Georgetown University Law Center's Institute for Public Representation. He also served as an associate attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Gremillion is a member of the D.C. and North Carolina bars. He also holds an M.A. degree in Intern

Paul Shapiro is the author of the bestselling book, Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World. He is also CEO of The Better Meat Co., a company that uses fermentation to turn microbes into alternative meat. Paul is a five-time TEDx speaker, the host of the Business for Good Podcast, and a long-time leader in food sustainability. As an authority on food and agriculture sustainability, Paul has been interviewed by numeorous news outlets—ranging from CNN to StarTalk Radio with Neil deGrasse Tyson. He has also published hundreds of articles in publications like the Washington Post, Scientific American, FORTUNE, and academic journals. In 2023, Paul was named as a Most Admired CEO by the Sacramento Business Journal. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Paul [23:58] about: The case for novel alternative proteins—including plant-based meats, cell-cultured meats, and mycoproteins—as sustainable solutions to meeting increasing global protein demand while re

Johanna Velez is Vice President of Quality Assurance for Monin Americas, having joined the brand in 2002. With more than 27 years in the food industry, Johanna has a wealth of experience in leading, directing, and guiding the company’s food safety and quality programs at all Monin North America locations. She successfully led Monin to achieve Safe Quality Foods (SQF) and Organic certifications for both the Clearwater, Florida and Sparks, Nevada facilities, resulting in an "Excellent" rating for the brand’s food safety practices. Prior to Monin, Johanna spent five years at Wild Flavors (now Archer-Daniels-Midland Company) in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), including the Florida IFT Division, as well as the Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA). Johanna graduated from Louisiana State University and later attended Michigan State University to obtain her certification in Food Law and Regulations. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Johanna [30

Carolyn Ross, Ph.D., M.Sc. is a Professor in the School of Food Science at Washington State University (WSU), Affiliate Professor in the WSU School of Medicine, and Director of the WSU Sensory Science Center. Since starting at WSU in 2004, Dr. Ross has established her lab and the WSU Sensory Science Center as a hub for graduate student training in the areas of sensory science and analytical chemistry. Specifically, the overall objectives of Dr. Ross's research and graduate education program are to understand the theoretical basis underpinning the sensory perception of foods and wines and correlate these attributes with quantifiable characteristics. Dr. Ross has also expanded her research to explore food texture perception in children. She has thrice been awarded the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT's) Tanner Award for most‐cited article in the Journal of Food Science (in the Sensory and Food Quality section). Dr. Ross was also awarded the WSU Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction and is a Fulbright-

Lone Jespersen, Ph.D. is a published author, speaker, and the Principal and Founder of Cultivate SA, a Swiss-based organization dedicated to eradicating foodborne illness, one culture at a time. Dr. Jespersen has worked to strengthen food safety through organizational culture improvements for 20 years, since starting at Maple Leaf Foods in 2004. She chaired the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) technical working group "A Culture of Food Safety," chaired the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) professional development group "Food Safety Culture," and was the technical author on the BSI PAS320 Practical Guide to Food Safety Culture. Dr. Jespersen holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety from the University of Guelph in Canada and a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University in Denmark. She is also a visiting Professor at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Dr. Jespersen serves as Chair of the IFPTI Board and as Director on the STOP Foodborne Illness

Takashi Nakamura, Ph.D. has served as Vice President of Food Safety for Fresh Del Monte since 2019. Previously, he worked in various senior research and development roles at Bumble Bee Foods and Bacardi, was the Vice President of Global Product Formulation and Worldwide Research and Development/Scientific Affairs at Herbalife, and was the Category Technical Leader for Portable Wholesome Snacking and Frozen Breakfast at Kellogg's. Dr. Nakamura serves on the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) Technical Committee and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) Food Safety Committee, and has represented Fresh Del Monte with the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA). He is an active member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). He received a Ph.D. in Engineering from Purdue University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of North Florida. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Nakamura [30:21] about: How Fresh Del Monte applies the insights gained from co

José Emilio Esteban, D.V.M. was sworn in as the U.S. Under Secretary for Food Safety on January 4, 2023. In this role, he leads the Office of Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), overseeing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which has regulatory oversight for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled. In August 2018, Dr. Esteban was appointed FSIS chief scientist. In this capacity, he served as the primary scientific advisor on matters of public health and food safety that affect the mission of the agency, with primary responsibility for scientific initiatives within the FSIS Office of Public Health Science (OPHS). In 2002, Dr. Esteban joined OPHS as the Director of the Western Laboratory. In this role, he directed the implementation of the sampling program and was responsible for the facility, equipment, and personnel infrastructure. In 2008, he was appointed as the FSIS Science Advisor for laboratory services and then as Execu

Steve Voelzke is a seasoned executive with over 34 years of experience in engineering and manufacturing leadership roles. His expertise lies in automation and electrical engineering projects, having successfully managed global-scale initiatives throughout his career. As Steve transitioned into the manufacturing sector, he brought his knowledge and vision to Robroy Industries, a prominent manufacturer. He assumed key leadership positions there and became a driving force behind innovation efforts. Steve's commitment to driving growth and innovation is evident through his numerous patents related to evolutionary products. His dedication to community service and philanthropy further highlights his passion for making a positive impact in his community and the industry. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Steve [1:53] about: The meaning of "hygienic design" in the context of food manufacturing facilities, and why it is a critical aspect of modern production Contributing factors to the rise

Jeannie Shaughnessy is CEO of the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA), where she leads the association in fulfilling its mission and vision while managing daily operations. She works closely with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Strategic Committees to shape and guide PTNPA in its ongoing and long-term strategies. Jeannie has more than 30 years of management and consulting experience with a focus on business operations and optimization, organizational development, change management, and communications. She is a trained Executive Coach, a certified facilitator, and a graduate of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Program, while also being a two-time business owner. Additionally, Jeannie has proudly served as a board member for many nonprofit organizations over the past 35 years. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jeannie [38:05] about: What the annual PTNPA Operations and Technical Food Safety Forum offers for the nut industry, and key takeaways from t

Scott Gustin is a native of Gloucester, Virginia, where he grew up on a small family farm raising registered Angus and Hereford cattle. He received his undergraduate degree and veterinary degrees at Virginia Tech in 1999 and 2002, respectively, before continuing on to receive his Masters in Avian Medicine at the University of Georgia. In 2004 Scott began his veterinary career at Cobb-Vantress in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. While at Cobb his roles included technical service for North America and Asia, internal veterinary service, and the World Director for Quality Assurance focusing on Salmonella eradication programs. Following Cobb, Scott worked for Tyson Foods for 12 years as the Managing Director of Veterinary Services for domestic poultry in Springdale, Arkansas. At presnt, Scott is a Technical Advisor for Elanco Animal Health focusing on bird health and food safety. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Scott [1:49] about: An overview of biosecurity and its importance The most signifi