Kathy Gombas is a recognized food safety expert with over 30 years of experience in the food industry specializing in preventive controls, supply chain management, food safety auditing, and regulatory affairs.

Kathy retired from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after 10 years of service. She was a senior advisor at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). While at CFSAN, Kathy was in a leadership role supporting the agency’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) implementation efforts including the Preventive Controls Regulator Training and launch of FDA’s FSMA Technical Assistance Network for industry. Kathy also led the implementation of FDA’s Reportable Food Registry.  

Before joining FDA, Kathy held senior food safety positions at Dean Foods overseeing food safety programs for their Northeast dairy operations and then the corporate supplier management program. Prior to that, she spent 8 years at Kraft Foods conducting food safety audits worldwide and developing corporate food safety policies.

Kathy is currently a member of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) steering committee and co-chair for the international subcommittee working on industry training, outreach, and technical assistance programs for food companies worldwide. Finally, Kathy is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine.

Kathy graduated from Northern Arizona University with a B.Sc. in Microbiology.

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

• The importance of reading and understanding FSMA guidance documents
• Highlights from the Preventive Controls Hazards Guide
• How crucial it is to get your hazard analysis right
• Remembering to look at all ingredients, including process water and overrun air, when it comes to your manufacturing process and the hazards it may present
• Being able to justify what's included--and what's not included--in your hazard analysis
• Why importers need to understand Foreign Supplier Verification Program requirements
• What FSPCA is working on next

Food Safety Magazine Articles Written and Co-Written by Kathy:
Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance Education and Outreach Goes Global (October/November 2017)
Learning from FDA Food Allergen Recalls and Reportable Foods (April/May 2014)
The Reportable Food Registry: A Valuable New Tool for Preventing Foodborne Illness (June/July 2011)
GFSI's Role in Harmonizing Food Safety Standards (June/July 2009)
Auditing Mechanics 101: A Guide for Auditors and Auditees (April/May 2005)
Food Allergen Awareness: An FDA Priority (February/March 2001)
The Challenge of Food Allergens: An Update (October/November 2001)
Supplier Scorecards: Are They Right for You? (December 2008/January 2009)

Related Content and Resources:
Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance
All FSMA Rules and Guidance for Industry
FDA's FSVP Importer List
FDA FSVP Guidance Document (Draft)
FSMA Guidance on Enforcement Discretion 
Describing a Hazard That Needs Control in Documents Accompanying the Food, as Required by FSMA (Draft)
HARPC Draft Guidance + Appendix 1

News Mentioned in This Episode
UPDATE: Multistate Romaine Lettuce E. coli Outbreak Continues to Spread 
VIDEO: Romaine Lettuce Farmers Frustrated by Government Response to E. coli Outbreak 
Canada Hit by Romaine Lettuce Illnesses 
USDA FSIS New Leadership Announced 
Research: Food Safety Inspection Scheduling Can Positively Impact Foodborne Illness Rates; Harvard Study 

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.

Brittney Miller is President of Manchester Farms, America's first quail farm. What started over 40 years ago as a backyard hobby has grown into a nationally recognized, family-owned business that produces more than 80,000 quail weekly, raising them responsibly, without antibiotics or hormones, and shipping premium products to chefs, retailers, and home cooks across the country. Brittney's story is about more than farming: it is about stewardship, innovation, and family values. She combines her passion for sustainable agriculture with modern food safety standards. Her SQF Level 2 certified, HACCP-compliant farm sets the benchmark for quality in specialty poultry.

Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety. Dr. Brashears 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.

Justin Ransom, Ph.D. is Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where he oversees FSIS' mission to ensure the safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling of America's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. He leads the agency's modernization efforts, streamlining inspection systems, strengthening public health protections, and advancing science-based policies. 

Elena Medo, M.B.A. is an entrepreneur, researcher, and inventor who has spent nearly 40 years transforming neonatal care through leadership and innovation. She has secured numerous patents, raised over $40 million across four companies, and built a legacy of firsts, including the first commercially available shelf-stable donor breast milk product; the first milk bank owned exclusively by nursing mothers; and the first medical device designed to analyze human milk. Today, as CEO and co-founder of Leonie Health PBC, established in 2023 with her daughter, Adrianne Weir, Elena is developing a revolutionary product that replicates the immune properties of colostrum to protect preterm infants against the three deadliest neonatal infections—necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAC), and sepsis—which together claim the lives of more than 30,000 hospitalized infants per year.

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a master’s degree in poultry science and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM).