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] 

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to two experts from Phoseon. Theresa Thompson is an application scientist for Phoseon's Life Science Group. Jay Pasquantonio is the strategy director for Phoseon's Life Science Group. Theresa and Jay discuss the use of ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) technology to reduce pathogens in food.

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

• Phoseon's use of UV LED disinfection systems to reduce and control foodborne pathogens from food products and contact surfaces
• The potential to use UV LED to treat beverages, produce, packaging, and various surfaces
• The overall benefits of using UV light, particularly in food processing
• Environments and instances that are ideal (and not ideal) for Phoseon's food safety applications
• Why traditional or more aggressive methods to eliminate pathogens may not be desirable
• The risks of purchasing UV LED equipment and systems from commercial market sellers
• Worker safety when using UV LED lights
• Upcoming research and product innovation within Phoseon

Resources
UV LED Disinfection for Food Safety 
Effectiveness of UV LEDs for Inactivating Biomolecules and Microorganisms
Rapid UV Inactivation Enables Faster Disinfection Processes for Manufacturing

Sponsored by:

Oscar Garrison is the senior vice president of food safety regulatory affairs at United Egg Producers. Previously, he was the director of food safety with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. As a past president of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, Oscar led the national organization's efforts to promote an integrated food safety system by working with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and industry.

Oscar earned his B.Sc. in Forensic Science and Technology from Jacksonville State University.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Oscar [20:25] about:

• How his background in forensic science led him to an unexpected career in food safety
• The most challenging aspects of being a state regulator
• How state regulatory bodies work with federal and local agencies to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks
• Why having specialized staff and maintaining those staff members are crucial at the state regulatory level
• How state regulators can help educate small and independent producers
• Inspection changes implemented in Georgia after the Peanut Corporation of America case
• His thoughts on data related to recent research on Salmonella and eggs
• Common questions and misconceptions about eggs and egg safety
• Whether or not a single food safety agency is a good idea
• Creative ways to use digital technology to ensure that state regulators can do their jobs
• Social media and regulators' responsibility to educate the public on food safety matters
• Whole-genome sequencing

Oscar Garrison's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
A Closer Look at Egg Safety 
Evolution of a State Food Safety Program

Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights [15:24]
Bob joins us to discuss his article featured in our August/September 2019 issue:
The FSMA Intentional Adulteration Rule Is Here: Are Processors Ready?

Want more from Bob Ferguson? Find more of his articles and podcast segments.

News Mentioned in This Episode
Spain's Largest-Ever Listeria Outbreak [5:42]
Listeria Outbreak Has No Known Source in U.S.; Likely Source in Canada [8:56]
FDA Reminds Industry of Best Practices in Response to Food Tampering in Retail Grocery Stores [10:45]  

Sponsored by:

Dry Floor Application Guide 
Egg Grading Sanitation Program

Dr. Laura Gieraltowski leads the Foodborne Outbreak Response Team in the Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. She leads the team that helps coordinate the national network of epidemiologists and other public health officials who investigate outbreaks of foodborne and other enteric illnesses.

​Laura is a graduate of CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Service Program. She received a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and has a Masters of Public Health degree in behavioral health sciences from Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. She has worked at the CDC since 2009 and has been involved in numerous multistate outbreak investigations leading to the identification and recall of food products.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Laura [14:39] about:

• CDC's role in foodborne outbreak investigations
• How CDC works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis vs. whole-genome sequencing, and why the former is no longer the standard method for DNA fingerprinting when investigating a foodborne outbreak
• How outbreak investigations become more or less complicated depending on what type of food product is involved
• Changes and advancements coming to food safety within the next 5–10 years

News Mentioned in This Episode
FDA Issues First Foreign Supplier Verification Program Warning [1:35]
FDA Tests Romaine Lettuce in Yuma Growing Region for Pathogens [3:56]
USDA to Consumers: Do Not Wash Raw Poultry [7:55]

Theodora Morille-Hinds is the vice president of global quality food safety for The Kellogg Company. She is also the 2019 recipient of Food Safety Magazine's Distinguished Service Award.

Stacey Popham is the head of food safety and quality for the Americas region of Barry Callebaut.

Dr. Mindy Brashears is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety.

Tim Stubbs is the vice president of product research and food safety for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Theo [13:18] about:

• The greatest day-to-day challenges in her current role at Kellogg
• Partnerships with Michigan State University, University of Georgia, and more
• Celebrating women and girls in science
• How she unexpectedly got into food science
• Advice to young women who may be thinking about a science-related career

We speak to Stacey [27:59] about:

• The first-ever World Food Safety Day and how it prompted Barry Callebaut to initiate monthly Food Safety Friday meetings within the organizations.

We speak to Tim [38:48] about:

• Dairy-related research discussed during IAFP sessions

We speak to Mindy [44:55] about:

• Upcoming modernization of poultry and swine systems
• The science-based data and programs that have prompted new initiatives
• Consumer education resources safe food handling
• Goals for new Campylobacter performance standards
• New testing for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli​ besides O157:H7
• Partnering with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on cell-based meat regulations

News Mentioned in This Episode
Employee Discovery Prompts Cookie Dough Recall

Sponsored by:

MSU's Online Food Safety Program - Educating Food Safety Leaders
MSU's Online Food Safety Program - Curriculum, admissions, fees, and more

Cindy Jiang is a senior director, Global Food and Packaging Safety, Global Supply Chain & Sustainability, for McDonald’s Corporation. Her responsibilities include developing food safety strategic plans, leading the effort to establish and maintain strong global supplier food safety and quality management systems and programs, having science- and risk-based food safety standards and policies, anticipating and managing food-related emerging issues, supporting the markets with farm-to-restaurant food safety practices, and elevating the food safety culture within the corporation, supplier, and franchisee communities.  

Cindy has been the lead for McDonald’s Food Safety Advisory Council since 2002, a forum for sharing food safety knowledge and best practices among leading suppliers and external experts. She has been actively engaged with industry and government collaboration on food safety. She has served on the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Board since 2008 and is currently a member of the Board for SSAFE and IFIC.

Cindy began her career with the McDonald’s Corporation after receiving an M.Sc. in food science and nutrition from the University of Wisconsin in 1990. She has held various positions at McDonald’s Corporation, from a food chemist to a quality assurance consultant, a senior quality assurance manager, and a director of food safety. Cindy has been actively engaged in leading the effort on harmonization of food safety standards by working with the food suppliers, the foodservice industry, certification program owners, and auditing firms since early 2007. She is a senior member of the American Society for Quality and has been a member of Institute of Food Technologists since 1989. She is also a current member of the International Association of Food Protection. She is passionate about advancing food safety for the benefit of consumers.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Cindy [19:43] about:

• The importance of meetings, team building activities, and volunteering in an effort to keep food safe
• The collaborative process McDonald's follows when new equipment needs to be developed
• McDonalds' approach to new employee training
• What regulators are looking for when they visit a foodservice establishment
• Understanding why collaboration is necessary and valuable
• Why food safety is not an area of competition
• McDonalds' three-leg stool system
• How McDonald's communicates with its many suppliers
• How McDonald's suppliers are required to have at least one GFSI benchmark certification
• Why there are so many benchmarked schemes, and why having a consolidated benchmarked scheme isn't feasible
• Government-to-government and government-to-business meetings
• Food safety culture
• Why every business within the food sector should be ready for an unannounced visit 24/7
• McDonald's and World Food Safety Day
• The ongoing challenge of meeting consumers' ever-changing expectations
• Technology, predictive analytics, and using data to predict potential foodborne illnesses and outbreaks
• How McDonald's has been delivering food in other countries years before it became a trend in the U.S.
• The importance of mastering soft skills, communication, and networking even in a science-based field

News Mentioned in This Episode
EFSA Identifies Three Food Safety Priorities for the Next 5–10 Years; Codex Agrees to Tackle E. coli in Certain Foods  [3:57]
Researchers Dissect 17 Years of Salmonella Outbreaks [8:51]
Viral Story: The Blue Bell Ice Cream Licker [11:12]  

Sponsored by:

MSU's Online Food Safety Program - Educating Food Safety Leaders
MSU's Online Food Safety Program - Curriculum, admissions, fees, and more

Joan Menke-Schaenzer is the chief quality officer at Van Drunen Farms and FutureCeuticals. There, she is responsible for the safety and quality of the company's vegetable and herb growing and processing plants—both conventional and organic—as well as their nutraceutical ingredient business. 

Joan's career has also included food safety and quality roles in manufacturing, foodservice, and retail. She's led McDonalds' global supply chain, safety, and compliance organization. She spearheaded food safety and quality at ConAgra, Walmart, and Kraft as well.

Joan served on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Advisory Committee and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Board of Scientific Counselors Food Safety Modernization Act Implementation Working Group.

Joan earned her B.Sc. in food science from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.  

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Joan [17:09] about:

• Challenges she's experienced across the supply chain at various levels of the food industry
• The importance of communication and soft skills in food safety
• How creative thinking can advance food safety success
• Her involvement in past foodborne outbreaks and how being proactive was the best decision for public health
• Issuing a recall even before a clear root cause was confirmed
• Gaining support from employers when it comes to joining industry and trade associations
• Why it's imperative to have existing relationships with regulators before a crisis occurs
• The benefits of epidemiological traceback and it can help in the event of an outbreak
• Proactively managing supply chains with GFSI audits
• Consumer research and combining that with risk assessment
• The benefits of partnering with suppliers
• How she used whole-genome sequencing to pinpoint the source of a growth niche
• Her views on blockchain and how it may not be the answer at all levels of the food supply chain
• How becoming responsible for profit and loss changed how she approached food safety decision-making
• Why it's important to build a support network throughout your career

News Mentioned in This Episode
Study: Here's Why Consumers Don't Use Thermometers When They Cook [2:36]
Updated Tomato Metrics [6:23]
Push for a Single Federal Food Safety Agency [9:54]