Dr. Hal King is the founder and CEO of Public Health Innovations, an ideation technology and consulting business. 

Hal is a public health professional who has worked in the investigation of foodborne and other disease outbreaks with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has also performed funded research on causation of diseases at Emory University.

Hal has worked in the prevention of intentional adulteration of foods for U.S. Army Reserves Consequence Management Unit, then on the design and implementation of preventative controls for food safety hazards in the food industry while serving as director of food and product safety at Chick-fil-A.

Hal is past chairman of the National Restaurant Association Quality Assurance Executive Study Group, past board member of the National Council of Chain Restaurants and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC Industry Partnerships, and past President of the Georgia Association for Food Protection an affiliate of the International Association of Food Protection.

Hal’s company, Public Health Innovations developed The Food Safety Lab, a website that facilitates open access to best practices in food safety for the food industry.  

He is the co-author and author of several food safety articles including numerous peer-reviewed research publications on the science of food safety and public health, holds several U.S. Patents and Patent Pending technologies. He has also authored several books including:
Food Safety Management: Implementing a Food Safety Program in a Food Retail Business and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls Improving Food Safety in Human Food Manufacturing for Food Businesses

He is now writing a new book to help the industry ensure food safety in restaurant operations called Active Managerial Control: Implementing Food Safety Management Systems in a Retail Food Service Business.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Hal King about:

• How to design a food safety management system that can enable control of risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness
• His time at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and how it helped him to understand food safety management
• How and where food safety hazards occur in the restaurant environment
• Turnover in the foodservice industry, and how it can be a setback in terms of food safety
• How health inspections work and the important role they play in food safety
• HACCP in a restaurant environment vs. in a food manufacturing facility
• Food hazards that get the most--and least--attention at the restaurant level
• Why some restaurant chains are reluctant to implement daily monitoring and other food safety systems
• The top food safety challenge facing restaurants today 
• How spending $10,000 on food safety could potentially save millions in preventing a recall, outbreak, etc.
• How consumers' perceptions of food safety have shifted, according to multiple studies
• Industry vs. consumers: Who bears responsibility when it comes to handling and preparing foods at home?
• Educational and career advice for young professionals interested in a food safety career

Hal King's Articles Published in Food Safety Magazine:
The Supply Chain and Food Safety Culture: Foodservice
Is It Time for a "Kill Step" for Pathogens on Produce at Retail?
Implementing Active Managerial Control Principles in a Retail Food Business
Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Controls (HARPC): The New GMP for Food Manufacturing
Food Defense Perspectives within a Food Protection Landscape: An Invitation to All Stakeholders

Related Content and Resources:
The Key to a Successful Career in the Food Safety Profession
 

News Mentioned in This Episode
Delta Joins American Airlines in Suspending Use of LAX Kitchen to Listeria
Sonny Perdue's reorganization of USDA on New Food Economy
FDA Releases Small Entity Compliance Guide for the FSMA Sanitary Transportation of Human Food and Animal Food Final Rule

Shannon Sked, Ph.D., BCE is an entomologist and the National Technical Director at Orkin. He received a B.S. degree from Rutgers University, an M.S. degree in Entomology from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Rutgers' Urban IPM Entomology lab. Dr. Sked's research focuses on distribution and temporal modeling of insect and rodent communities in order to design effective pest management programs. He began his career as a Navy Entomologist overseeing structural pests, specifically focusing on pests related to imports, exports, and within the logistics chain for Navy operations. He had the unique opportunity to practice applied entomology and invasive species management in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caribbean, and the eastern shore of the U.S.  

Michael Ciepiela is Vice President of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Southern Specialties. He brings over a decade of diverse experience in the food and beverage industry, along with experience in the pharmaceutical sector, specializing in quality assurance and food safety. Throughout his career, he has excelled in multi-site implementation and adherence to GFSI requirements and regulations. Michael has also been instrumental in promoting and educating Lean Six Sigma principles in fast-paced, cross-departmental settings. As a recognized thought leader, he frequently speaks at national conferences. He is also a senior member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Michael holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Alfred University and a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from Villanova University.

Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Under Secretary for Food Safety. She previously served as Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. Dr. Brashears returns to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.

Carmen Rottenberg is a leader in food safety and agriculture policy, serving as Managing Director of Groundswell Strategy a Board Member for the Partnership for Food Safety Education. Prior to launching Groundswell Strategy, Carmen served as Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. Over her 13 years with USDA, Carmen held several leadership roles and was credited with spearheading key agency initiatives including modernizing food safety inspection systems and establishing and updating pathogen performance standards. Carmen has extensive experience achieving collaboration across federal, state, and municipal agencies including with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), with state departments of agriculture and across USDA's 29 agencies and offices.

Jules Shepard is the CEO and Founder of gfJules, the number-one‑voted gluten‑free flour and baking mixes company in the United States. A recognized gluten‑free baking expert, she has authored three award‑winning books in the field and recently released a new cookbook dedicated to gluten‑free bread. A long‑standing and respected leader in the gluten‑free and food allergy community, Jules championed the gluten‑free food labeling movement in 2011. Her tireless advocacy, education, and lobbying efforts culminated in her receiving the first‑ever "Gluten Free Person of the Decade" award in 2020.

Lily Yasuda is the Deputy Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, where she leads national initiatives that bring together food industry leaders to strengthen food safety culture and support continuous learning across the sector.

Athenais Boeffard is a collaborative and people-focused production leader with over a decade of experience in food manufacturing and food safety. 

John Boyce has over 45 years of experience in various aspects of food production, food safety, quality assurance, sanitation, training, and auditing. 

Rhodes Yepsen joined the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) in 2015, where he leads the organization's efforts to promote the value of compostable products. Rhodes is passionate about systems-based solutions, where there is synergy in solving for food waste and packaging simultaneously—addressing climate change, ecosystem impacts, and regenerative agriculture. Previously, he served on the Board of USCC, worked for biopolymer producer Novamont, and was a staff editor and writer at BioCycle magazine.