Name: Beyond Detection: How Integrated PCR Diagnostics Strengthen Food Safety in RTE Manufacturing
Start: 2025-12-04T14:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-12-04T00:00:00-05:00

Beyond Detection: How Integrated PCR Diagnostics Strengthen Food Safety in RTE Manufacturing

12/4/25 2:00 pm to 12/4/26 EST

Contact: Vania Halabou

Join Hygiena® and Post Consumer Brands for an insightful fireside chat on strengthening food safety in ready-to-eat (RTE) manufacturing. From cereals and snacks to peanut butter and pet food, Post Consumer Brands oversees some of America’s most trusted names—each presenting unique pathogen challenges. Learn how their food safety team, led by Pamela Wilger, integrates molecular diagnostics (PCR) and Hygiena’s ecosystem to achieve faster results, fewer retests, and stronger compliance across multiple facilities. Moderated by Hygiena’s Mark Carter, this session will explore practical approaches to proactive risk management, data-driven decision-making, and scaling verification programs without adding complexity.

Key takeaways:

How to modernize RTE pathogen testing using molecular diagnostics (PCR)
Strategies for preventing Salmonella and Listeria in dry food environments
Ways to integrate ATP, indicator, and PCR data into a unified SureTrend® system
Real-world lessons from Post Consumer Brands on building a proactive food safety culture

Speakers:

Mark Carter, Senior Global Product Manager for Software, Hygiena. Mark Carter, M.S.A., PCQI is a Senior Global Software Product Manager with Hygiena and a former President of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). In addition to his position at Hygiena, Mark Carter is the CEO of consultancy MC Squared Enterprises Inc. Before joining Hygiena, Mark was COO of Matrix Sciences and CEO of QCL. His background also includes roles at Kraft Foods and McKee Foods Corporation, where he focused on microbiology and food safety. Mark’s involvement with IAFP dates to 1993, during which time he has served in various leadership roles, including serving on multiple committees and co-founding the Sample Prep working group. He also participates in IAFP technical symposia, poster presentations, and the Applied Laboratory Methods and Food Sanitation and Hygiene Professional Development Groups.

Pamela Wilger, Fellow Scientist—Microbiology, Post Consumer Brands. Pamela Wilger is a seasoned microbiologist and food safety leader with more than 40 years of experience across the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries. As Fellow Scientist—Microbiology at Post Consumer Brands, she serves as the company’s technical authority for microbiology, quality, and food safety. She leads validation studies for pathogen reduction; develops contamination prevention strategies; and supports facilities, laboratories, and suppliers worldwide. Before joining Post, she spent over two decades with Cargill as an applied microbiologist and food safety expert and previously worked with Quest International in product development. Pam is an active executive board member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and a U.S. representative to the ISO Technical Committee on Food Microbiology. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Moderator: Adrienne Blume, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine

Sponsored By: