Food Safety Matters

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In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Mick Dutcher, the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Food Products at FDA’s Office of Inspections and Investigations (OII), about the work of the Food Products Inspectorate and its activities to ensure food safety.

In this special 200^th episode of Food Safety Matters, our hosts look back at the podcast’s eight-year history, sharing their stories and experiences, as well as reviewing some of the show’s most memorable episodes and guests.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Elanco Poultry Account Manager Vic Fox about the components and importance of a holistic integrated Salmonella control program in modern poultry operations, and how Elanco supports poultry producers with a multidisciplinary approach.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to George Misko, a legal expert on the regulation of food and food contact materials, about the recent “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Report calling for changes to the “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) provision, food additives, and food contact materials oversight—and the potential regulatory implications.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, recorded live at IAFP's 2025 Annual Meeting in Cleveland, Ohio, we speak to two top officials from FDA’s Human Foods Program (HFP) about the HFP’s current areas of focus—including produce safety and other goals aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative—as well as the future of the HFP and how food safety culture influences its work.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Jim Fredericks, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), about the risks posed by rodents in food facilities and the importance of integrated pest control to food safety.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jatin Patel, Director of Operations for FGS Ingredients, about how the company handled a recall of several of its mustard-based products due to peanut contamination, the measures the company has implemented to prevent future risks, and the broader implications for food safety standards.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Lane Highbarger, President of Highbarger Consulting LLC and former Regulatory Specialist and lead microbiologist in FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety, about his thoughts on the recent FDA workforce cuts instigated by the Trump Administration, and how these cuts may impact the agency's ability to ensure safe food for consumers.

In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Kye Luker, Chief Product Officer at FlexXray, about how external X-ray inspection services can assist companies in responding to a foreign material (FM) contamination event, and the ways in which inspection technology is evolving.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Christopher Daubert, President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, about the value of a food science education, as well as the complex food system challenges that today's students, who make up tomorrow's workforce, can help address.