Sanjay Gummalla is the vice president of regulatory and technical affairs at the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI), where he recently led the effort to launch the organization's Food Safety Zone online tool released earlier this year. 

Previously, Sanjay was the vice president of product development at Zentis North America. Before that, he spent time at Givaudan where he served as the lead scientist for food and dairy processing and was responsible for conducting research to establish impact, performance, and stability of new ingredients and technologies. He also spent time in dairy flavor development at Cargill.

Sanjay earned his Ph.D. in nutrition and food sciences at Utah State University in 2000 and was a post-doctoral researcher at the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Sanjay [17:59] about:

• Sanjay's career and background
• The history of AFFI and the organization's recent 75th anniversary
• AFFI's science-based and risk-based approach to food safety, and their focus on preventing and controlling Listeria monocytogenes in frozen foods
• The Food Safety Zone, AFFI's Listeria control program, and how it was developed and implemented
• Sanitation control, environmental monitoring, and other areas, templates, and resources covered or offered within the program
• AFFI's efforts to advance food safety via scientific research, developing best practices, training, and education for the supply chain, retailers, foodservice workers, and consumers
• Collaboration in food safety without the worry of competition 
• AFFI's partnership with Merieux NutriSciences
• The Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention
• AFFI's Frozen Food Foundation
• Consumer confusion about cooking instructions and what 'ready-to-eat' really means, and working with regulatory agencies to get consistent messaging out to the public
• Balancing convenience, taste, and safety of frozen foods
• Misconceptions about the nutritional benefits of frozen foods vs. fresh foods
• Plans to expand the Food Safety Zone and focus on other pathogens besides Listeria

Resources Mentioned:
AFFI Food Safety Zone online tool
Alliance for Listeriosis Prevention
AFFI Frozen Food Foundation
FrozenAdvantage.org 

News Mentioned in This Episode
New Food Allergen Labeling Coming to the UK [5:13]
Trade Group Pushes to Remove Coconut from FDA's Food Allergen List [6:51]
USDA Modernizes Swine Slaughter Inspection for the First Time in 50 Years [10:44] 

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).