After obtaining her B.Sc. in poultry science from the University of Florida and serving in the meat and poultry industry, Trish began her career in food safety in 1997 as director of process and product development at ABC Research Corporation in Gainesville, FL. In 2004, she joined SGS, Consumer Testing Services, as the regional operations director for the Americas until 2009 when she became director of food safety systems for Eurofins Scientific. She is a Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance Lead Instructor for Human Foods, an International HACCP Alliance Instructor and is currently President of her own consulting company, PA Wester Consulting, where she utilizes her broad experience in food safety testing and accredited certification auditing to support her food industry client base through the complexities of Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation. In 2017, she launched the Association for Food Safety Auditing Professionals, a 501(C)(3) trade association to provide a platform to support the food safety auditing community. 
 
She is active on numerous committees and councils, including as a member of the Food Safety Summit Education Advisory Board, and past Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Auditor Competence and Global Regulatory Affairs Technical Working Groups.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Trish Wester about:

• The types of audits conducted within the food industry and how they differ
• How exacting standards for third-party auditing became part of FSMA
• How FSMA implementation will change the way that auditing has always been performed
• Auditing for food safety preventive controls vs. the robust systems that already exist for HACCP
• What it will take to create audits that are as robust and viable as the ones that were performed pre-FSMA
• How food plants are adapting to preventive controls rules in light of FSMA implementation and compliance deadlines
• Apparent gaps in how FDA has structured FSMA regulations
• How companies are working to meet FSMA compliance deadlines in a relatively short period of time
• What happens when an auditor does not have specific training and experience in the food sector they’re evaluating
• What kinds of skills should a qualified auditor possess
• How scoring of audits works
• The challenges of training an auditor to be well-versed in all FDA-regulated food sectors

News Mentioned in This Episode
FDA Agrees to Enforce Menu Labeling Rule in May 2018
Office of the Inspector General: FDA Must Boost Efficiency
CFIA Funding to further DNA-Based Research with University of Guelph

Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights Articles:
Food Safety Insights: The New Face of Sanitation Programs: New Rules, New Challenges (October/November 2017)
Food Safety Insights: A Look at the Microbiology Testing Market (February/March 2017)
Food Safety Insights: The Drivers of Differences in Food Safety Testing Practices (April/May 2017)
Food Safety Insights: What Industry and FDA Are Thinking About FSMA Implementation (June/July 2017)
Food Safety Insights: A Closer Look at Environmental Monitoring in the Processing Plant (August/September 2017)

If you're interested in participating in our Food Safety Insights Survey program please email your contact information to podcast@foodsafetymagazine.com.

José Emilio Esteban, D.V.M. was sworn in as the U.S. Under Secretary for Food Safety on January 4, 2023. In this role, he leads the Office of Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), overseeing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which has regulatory oversight for ensuring that meat, poultry, and egg products are safe, wholesome, and properly labeled.

Sandra Eskin, J.D. was appointed U.S. Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety on March 24, 2021. In this role, she leads the Office of Food Safety at USDA, overseeing FSIS.

Prior to joining USDA, Mrs. Eskin was the Project Director for Food Safety at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., a position she held since November 2009. She also served from 2008–2009 as the Deputy Director of the Produce Safety Project, a Pew-funded initiative at Georgetown University. 

Steve Voelzke is a seasoned executive with over 34 years of experience in engineering and manufacturing leadership roles. His expertise lies in automation and electrical engineering projects, having successfully managed global-scale initiatives throughout his career. As Steve transitioned into the manufacturing sector, he brought his knowledge and vision to Robroy Industries, a prominent manufacturer. He assumed key leadership positions there and became a driving force behind innovation efforts. Steve's commitment to driving growth and innovation is evident through his numerous patents related to evolutionary products. His dedication to community service and philanthropy further highlights his passion for making a positive impact in his community and the industry.

Jeannie Shaughnessy is CEO of the Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association (PTNPA), where she leads the association in fulfilling its mission and vision while managing daily operations. She works closely with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and Strategic Committees to shape and guide PTNPA in its ongoing and long-term strategies. Jeannie has more than 30 years of management and consulting experience with a focus on business operations and optimization, organizational development, change management, and communications. She is a trained Executive Coach, a certified facilitator, and a graduate of the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Program, while also being a two-time business owner. Additionally, Jeannie has proudly served as a board member for many nonprofit organizations over the past 35 years.

Scott Gustin is a native of Gloucester, Virginia, where he grew up on a small family farm raising registered Angus and Hereford cattle. He received his undergraduate degree and veterinary degrees at Virginia Tech in 1999 and 2002, respectively, before continuing on to receive his Masters in Avian Medicine at the University of Georgia. In 2004 Scott began his veterinary career at Cobb-Vantress in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. While at Cobb his roles included technical service for North America and Asia, internal veterinary service, and the World Director for Quality Assurance focusing on Salmonella eradication programs. Following Cobb, Scott worked for Tyson Foods for 12 years as the Managing Director of Veterinary Services for domestic poultry in Springdale, Arkansas. At presnt, Scott is a Technical Advisor for Elanco Animal Health focusing on bird health and food safety.

Brendan A. Niemira, Ph.D. is a research microbiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service (USDA's ARS) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of the University of Chicago and Michigan State University. His research develops and validates cold plasma, pulsed light, radiofrequency energy, and other nonthermal food processing technologies. He has published over 180 peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, and critical reviews, is the co-editor and author of a well-regarded reference text, and holds one patent. Dr. Niemira is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and a past member of the IFT Board of Directors. He currently serves on the Educational Advisory Board for the Food Safety Summit. A member of IFT, the International Association for Food Protection, and the American Society for Microbiology for more than 20 years, he also serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Food Protection and Applied and Environmental Microbiology. He received the 2016 U.S. Department of Defense Award for Excellence and the 2020 Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Innovation Award.

As CEO of STOP Foodborne Illness (STOP) since May 2019, Mitzi Baum, M.Sc. is focused on expanding STOP's impact by concentrating on three strategic areas: families and individuals impacted by foodborne disease, company culture and practice, and food safety policy. By instituting a collaborative, consumer-centric operating model, STOP engages stakeholders across the food system to develop and advance solutions to food safety.