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. 

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. 

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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 judgement in food safety oversight as these emerging technologies are rolled out across FSIS departments.

Resources

USDA-FSIS Announces Pilot Program to Evaluate Salmonella Control Strategies in Raw Poultry Establishments

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