Joe Stout is the founder of Commercial Food Sanitation, a consulting firm that provides food safety and sanitation solutions to food processing plants. Before that, Joe spent nearly 30 years at Kraft Foods. While there, he held a variety of positions related to operations, quality, and sanitation, ultimately leading to his role as Kraft's director of global product protection, sanitation, and hygienic design.

In this role at Kraft, Joe had global responsibility for plant cleaning controls and processes, allergen and pathogen control programs, pest control, and hygienic design for facilities and equipment used in more than 200 Kraft plants. Joe also managed the Global Product Protection Group, assuring global support for internal and external plants.

Joe led the American Meat Institute’s (AMI) Equipment Design Task Force and has led Listeria Intervention training for AMI and the American Frozen Food Institute. He is the current leader of the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s Sanitary Design Working Group. He also conducts allergen training for the Food Allergy Research Resource Program. In addition to his involvement with these and many other leading industry organizations, Joe is a published authority when it comes to food safety, sanitation, hygiene, and other related areas.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Android

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Joe [16:19] about:

  • The basic fundamentals of sanitation in food safety
  • The persistent problem of Listeria in food processing environments
  • Sanitation best practices
  • The problem with preventative and corrective actions
  • The importance of using science-based approaches
  • Sanitation training offered by Commercial Food Sanitation
  • Advice regarding a food plant's implementation of Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)
  • His thoughts on whether or not SSOPs should be shared amongst the food industry
  • Technological advancements vs. increasing productivity needs
  • The 7 Steps of Sanitation developed at Kraft, and the importance of performing those steps in the right order
  • Hygienic design and its implications regarding the future of food safety
  • The 10 Principles of Equipment Design
  • Good—and not so good—things he's seen when touring food processing plants 

Joe Stout's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
Hygienic Design: How Our Thinking Has Evolved
Perspectives on Practices in Food Plant Sanitation and Hygiene
Principles of Environmental Pathogen Control
10 Principles of Equipment Design for Ready-to-Eat Processing Operations

Related Content 
7 Steps of Effective Wet Sanitation 
10 Principles of Sanitary Design

News Mentioned in This Episode
Three Face Jail in the Netherlands for Links to Horsemeat Scandal [2:26]
BBC News explains the complex horsemeat supply chain 
Dr. Mindy Brashears Named USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety [5:43]
Former FDA Leader Tells How Shutdown Will Impact Food Safety [7:31]
Workers Are Retaliating Against Peers Coming to Work by "Sick Shaming" Them [12:07]

Keep Up with Food Safety Magazine
Follow Us on Twitter @FoodSafetyMag and on Facebook 
Subscribe to our magazine and our biweekly eNewsletter

We Want to Hear From You!
Please share your comments, questions, and suggestions. Tell us about yourself—we'd love to hear about your food safety challenges and successes. We want to get to you know you! Here are a few ways to be in touch with us.


Author(s): Staff