Name: Systematic Approach to Hazard Analysis: Considering Product- and Process-Specific Risks
Start: 2025-08-12T14:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-08-12T00:00:00-04:00

Food safety assurance is informed by risk assessments—i.e., the "HA" (hazard analysis) in "HACCP." Industry is responsible for ensuring that a hazard analysis is conducted properly and thoroughly for each product, and that these risk assessments meet regulatory requirements set by FDA and USDA. With hazard analysis and critical control points (or CCPs) often being considered together under HACCP, the necessary product- and process-specific approach to hazard analysis is sometimes overlooked or inadequately addressed. In this webinar, microbiology experts and industry veterans from the leafy greens/fresh produce and meat/poultry sectors explain the importance of taking a systematic approach to hazard analysis by conducting product- and process-specific risk analysis for food products, particularly commodities that are considered to be "high risk.

From this webinar, attendees will learn:

Why hazard analysis is an essential part of every food safety plan
The importance of conducting a systematic hazard analysis that considers product- and process-specific risks
Where and why hazard analysis can fail, especially for high-risk products like leafy greens and meat/poultry

Speakers:

Sharon Beals, Founder, SKKB LLC. Sharon Beals is the Founder of SKKB LLC. She brings over 40 years of experience in food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance, most recently serving as the Chief Food Safety Officer at CTI Foods. Prior to joining CTI, Ms. Beals held senior level Food Safety/Quality/Regulatory Compliance/Technical Services at US Foods. Maple Leaf Foods, Smithfield Packing, Tyson Foods/IBP, Orval Kent Food, Arby's, and Land O'Frost. She is actively engaged in the industry and is past Chair for the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo); has served on the American Meat Science Association Board of Directors (AMSA); was the 2017 Reciprocal Meat Conference chair; currently serves on the AMSA Development Council and the Board of Directors for Women in Agribusiness (WIA); and speaks for WIA, the Food Safety Summit, and the Reciprocal Meat Conference. Ms. Beals was named a Fellow of the AMSA in 2021 and awarded the Signal Service Award by that organization. Sharon holds a B.Sc. degree in Nutrition and Foods from Cornell University.

Larry Keener, President and CEO, International Product Safety Consultants Inc. Larry Keener is President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants Inc. (IPSC) based in Seattle, Washington. He is an internationally regarded microbiologist and process authority in the food industry. His areas of expertise range from applied food microbiology to the development and application of novel preservation technologies including high pressure processing (HPP), microwave, pulsed electric field (PEF), high powered ultrasound, atmospheric plasma, and low-energy-electron beam technology. Mr. Keener is a 2013 Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT); a Board Certified Food Scientist (International Food Science Certification Commission); and a 2018 recipient of an International Union of Food Science and Technology's (IUFoST) lifetime achievement award for his work in microbiology and food safety. He is a past president of IFT's Nonthermal Processing Division and also a two-term past president of Tuskegee University's Food and Nutrition Sciences Advisory Board. He is also the past co-chair and founding member of GHI.

Gretchen Wall, M.S., Senior Director, Food Safety, Food Safety Strategy LLC. Gretchen Wall, M.S. is Senior Director, Food Safety for Food Safety Strategy LLC. For the past 15 years, Ms. Wall has served food industry members and stakeholders by providing technical support, educational opportunities, and guidance to navigate complex regulatory requirements and market demands for food safety and quality. She is passionate about building food safety competency, capacity, and culture through effective education, mentoring, and hands-on learning opportunities. Fostering long-term business viability while working towards achieving public health goals is a cornerstone of her working relationships with industry members. Ms. Wall earned her M.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Food Science and Safety at Colorado State University and her B.S. degree in Food Science at The Pennsylvania State University. Her most recent professional roles include Director of Food Safety and Quality at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and Senior Extension Associate in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University. She is the past Chair of the International Association of Food Protection's (IAFP's) Fruit and Vegetable Safety and Quality Professional Development Group and a current member of the IAFP Food Protection Trends Management Committee.

Moderator: Adrienne Blume, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine

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