We speak with Rocco Renaldi, Secretary-General of the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), about the ongoing debate surrounding UPFs, including limitations of processing-based food classification systems, the importance of processing for safety and nutrition, industry efforts to improve nutritional profiles, and potential implications of UPF policies.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, Adam Holt, BCE, Founder and Principal Consultant of NameDatBug, discusses common pest management vulnerabilities in food facilities, best practices for integrated pest management (IPM), and the benefits and limitations of electronic monitoring and AI. He also shares strategies for improving audit readiness and adapting to emerging pest pressures.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss how food companies can move beyond audit preparation to achieve continuous audit readiness, including gap assessments, identifying systemic issues, strengthening accountability and culture, Lean Six Sigma, meaningful KPIs, supporting sustainable operational excellence.
Marking National Food Safety Education Month, we speak to Dr. Mindy Brashears of USDA and Carmen Rottenberg of the Partnership for Food Safety Education Advisory Board about the essential role of consumer education in preventing foodborne illness; USDA's responsibility in supporting safe food handling; and how organizations can help consumers put food safety guidance into practice.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak about gluten-free food safety from the perspectives of a person with celiac disease, a consumer advocate, and a food manufacturer, including gluten-free labeling requirements, food safety controls, gaps in U.S. labeling regulations, and policy discussions around cross-contact, precautionary labeling, thresholds, and "free-from" claims.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness Mentorship Program and its role in supporting professional growth in food safety, including lessons from the mentor-mentee experience, the value of perspectives outside one's own organization, and how mentorship can strengthen leadership, communication, and collaboration across the profession.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Rhodes Yepsen, Executive Director of the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), about developments in California packaging policy and their potential implications for food processors and packaging manufacturers. Rhodes also discusses the role of compostable packaging in food waste reduction and the tradeoffs manufacturers must consider when balancing sustainability goals with food safety, product protection, and shelf-life requirements.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Brittney Miller, President of Manchester Farms, about how America's first quail farm applies HACCP, SQF certification, and a strong food safety culture to specialty poultry production, while exploring the unique challenges, opportunities, and future of food safety in the sector.
In this bonus episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety, Dr. Mindy Brashears,
and Administrator USDA-FSIS, Dr. Justin Ransom, about the future of food safety oversight at the agency, its emerging Salmonella strategy, evolving approach to Listeria control, the creation of a new scientific advisory panel, and the use of data, AI, and other technologies for inspection and risk identification.
Following the global infant formula recall linked to cereulide contamination, Elena Medo discusses vulnerabilities in infant formula supply chains, infant-specific food safety risks, surveillance gaps, donor milk safety, and the lessons regulators and manufacturers can take away from this unprecedented event.
