MilliporeSigma: Cultivated Seafood—Collaborative Journey to Scale-Up Success

Ep. 170. Dr. Barbara Kowalcyk: An Integrated Approach to Food Safety, Nutrition, and Food Security

Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D., M.A., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and the Director of the Food Policy Institute at George Washington University's (GW's) Milken Institute School of Public Health. She also has an appointment in the U.S. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and is a fellow with the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness.

Dr. Kowalcyk's research spans a range of topics related to food safety and infectious foodborne disease, and their intersection with nutrition security. She has extensively used epidemiologic methods, data analytics, and risk analysis to assess food safety risks and potential intervention strategies in both the U.S. and the Global South. Prior to joining GW in 2023, Dr. Kowalcyk was faculty at Ohio State University with appointments in the Department of Food Science and Technology and the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and directed the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention (CFI), a nonprofit organization she co-founded in 2006. Prior to joining OSU, she was a senior food safety and public health scientist at RTI International and a research assistant professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Science at North Carolina State University.

Dr. Kowalcyk holds a B.A. degree in mathematics from the University of Dayton, an M.A. degree in Applied Statistics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Health from the University of Cincinnati. She has served on many national committees, including two National Academy of Sciences committees and her current appointment to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Science Board.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Kowalcyk [39:50] about:

Her research and advocacy work in the food safety realm, which focuses on advancing equitable food systems that promote public health and prevent foodborne illness

How Dr. Kowalcyk's background and personal experiences shaped her career in food safety

The interconnectedness of food safety, nutrition, and food security, and the need for an integrated approach to drive improvement in these three areas

Dr. Kowalcyk's experience as part of the Reagan-Udall Foundation independent panel that conducted the 2022 evaluation of FDA's operations, and her impressions of the proposed reorganization plan for the agency's Human Foods Program

The benefits of whole genome sequencing (WGS) and other technological advancements in foodborne illness outbreak detection and monitoring, and why “boots-on-the-ground” data is still crucial

Current food safety challenges on Dr. Kowalcyk’s radar, like the effects of climate change on the safety of water used in food production and the need for workforce development in the food safety industry.

News and Resources

FDA Publishes FSMA Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water Final Rule [7:41]

USDA Testing Retail Ground Beef for HPAI H5N1; Maintains That U.S. Meat Supply is Safe [17:28]
FDA Testing Finds HPAI in Retail Milk Samples; Research Required to Determine Infectivity, Food Safety Risk

Florida Becomes First State to Ban Cell-Based Meat [23:50]
Alabama Poised to Ban Cell-Based Meat

Thanks, Sesame: U.S. Food Recalls Due to Undeclared Allergens Skyrocketed in 2023, Causing Half of All Food Recalls [32:53]

Food Safety Summit 2024 Keynote: On-Demand Replay Now Available
Food Industry Counsel—Food Recall Search

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Bonus Episode: Live from the 2024 Food Safety Summit—Part 2

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2024 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Melody Ge, M.S., FSQA, Director at Starkist Co. and Co-Founder of Women in Food Safety (WIFS); Jacqueline Southee, Ph.D., North American Representative at Foundation FSSC and Co-Founder of WIFS; Jill Hoffman, M.S., Senior Director of Food Safety and Quality at B&G Foods; Anjan Chatterji, M.B.A., J.D., LL.M., CEO of NOMADX Holdings; Jorge Hernandez, Vice President of Quality Assurance at The Wendy’s Company; Chirag Bhatt, RS, CCFS, Director of Regulatory Affairs at HS GovTech Solutions; Tyler Williams, CEO of ASI Food; Marc Cwikowski and Tülay Kahraman, Co-Founders at World of Auditing; and Angela Nardone, COO of Share-ify. Discussions covered the advancement of female food safety professionals, allergen control in both foodservice and food processing, the future of food safety auditing, and other topics.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:

• Melody, Jacqueline, and Jill [2:27] about the work of WIFS, and how women professionals in food safety can support themselves and each other
• Anjan [20:59] about how the NOMADX platform helps enhance food safety and save lives
• Jorge and Chirag [38:06] about the crucial importance of addressing allergens in both foodservice and food processing
• Tyler [58:08] about mitigating possible food safety risks posed by disgruntled employees
• Marc and Tülay [1:11:59] about the outcomes of a think tank on the future of food safety auditing, incorporating insights from more than 30 professionals from 18 countries
• Angela [1:28:31] about common gaps in food companies’ traceability programs and how Share-ify provides a solution.

News and Resources:

Stream On-Demand for Free: Recordings of FSS 2024 Keynote and Other Sessions
FSS 2024 Town Hall with FDA, CDC, USDA, and AFDO
FSS '24: Regulatory, Industry Experts Share Best Practices Around FSMA 204 and Traceability Efforts
The 26^th Annual Food Safety Summit Attracts 3,400 Food Safety Professionals In Person and Virtually, a 26 Percent Increase From the 2023 Event

Sponsored by:

NOMADX
ASI Food Safety
Share-ify

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Ep. 169. Live from the 2024 Food Safety Summit—Part 1

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2024 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Mitzi Baum, CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness and Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs (acting) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Matt Taylor, Global Senior Manager of Food Consulting and Technical Solutions at NSF; Lori Dodson, Senior Advisor at the Maryland Cannabis Administration and Kathy Knutson, Ph.D., PCQI, Founder of Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting LLC; William Erdely, Head of Client Development at Körber Supply Chain Consulting; Larry Keener, CFS, PA, President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants Inc. and Elizabeth (Liz) Presnell, J.D., Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer at Food Industry Counsel LLC; and Scott Jones, Director of North American Sales at Meritech.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:

• Mitzi and Dr. Choiniere [3:26] about the joint Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness/FDA webinar series on food safety culture that produced 11 webinars, the final of which was presented live from the Summit
• Matt [14:56] about significant current events in food safety
• Dr. Knutson and Lori [35:53] about food safety regulation for cannabis-infused edibles and beverages
• William Erdely [55:33] about adapting to changes in food traceability requirements to enhance food safety
• Larry and Liz [1:22:11] about threats to food safety associated with legacy facilities and equipment, and how these hazards can be addressed
• Scott [1:40:11] about the use of automation to create a culture of hand hygiene compliance in the food sector.

News and Resources:

The Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness/FDA Webinar Series

FSS 2024 Town Hall with FDA, CDC, USDA, and AFDO
FSS '24: Regulatory, Industry Experts Share Best Practices Around FSMA 204 and Traceability Efforts
The 26^th Annual Food Safety Summit Attracts 3,400 Food Safety Professionals In Person and Virtually, a 26 Percent Increase From the 2023 Event

Sponsored by:

NSF
Körber Supply Chain Consulting
Meritech

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Please send us your questions and suggestions [email protected]

Elanco: Dr. Alissa Welsher—Using Darkling Beetles as an Indicator for Pre-Harvest Salmonella Loads

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is an Associate Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as an M.S. degree in Poultry Science and a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is molecular physiology, and she specializes in heat stress and gut health.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher about:

• How industry’s understanding of pest management’s role in food safety has evolved in recent years
• Why pests are often an overlooked source of foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, and why darkling beetles, in particular, are important to consider as a possible contributor to Salmonella
• Insights on the darkling beetle, where darkling beetles are typically found, and how beetles can transmit disease
• The initiation and execution of a study that showed a correlation between beetle populations and Salmonella load in poultry flocks
• Current indicators of pre-harvest Salmonella load and how those indicators are managed, and why beetles can be a possible indicator of pre-harvest Salmonella load
• Actions producers can take to gain control of pest presence on farm
• How the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service' (USDA-FSIS') framework to reduce cases of salmonellosis attributable to poultry may lead to producers prioritizing integrated pest management.

Sponsored by:

Elanco

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Ep. 168. Francine Shaw: Watching the Kitchen to Ensure Food Safety in Foodservice

Francine Shaw, CP-FS, FMP, is a food safety specialist, podcaster, speaker, entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Food Safety Inc., and the author of Who Watches the Kitchen? She has spent more than 30 years working in the foodservice industry and is committed to constantly evolving in the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. Her career has included performing services—such as operating partner, corporate/private trainer, health inspector, third-party inspector, and adjunct professor—in various sectors of the foodservice industry. Francine has also written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines and appeared on Dr. Oz, the BBC World Series Radio, and iHeart Radio as a food safety expert.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Francine [40:38] about:

• The importance of incorporating real-life anecdotes into food safety education to make it relatable and engaging to the audience
• The need for open discussions about real-world experiences in industry to address and correct issues effectively
• How performance rating systems can help identify and address problem areas or employees within a foodservice organization
• Why it is important to take a step back to understand the root causes of problems, rather than simply “putting out fires”
• Common mistakes foodservice businesses make related to their sanitation and hygiene practices, and possible solutions to address these pitfalls
• Technologies that can help improve food safety, and why it is important to embrace technology to keep up with regulatory demands and improve efficiency
• The lack of gender diversity in the food safety sector, and Francine’s personal experiences as a woman and an advocate for gender equality in the industry.

News and Resources

FDA Deputy Commissioner Details how FY 2025 Funds Will be Spent on Human Foods Priorities [4:08]
Codex Meeting Ties Up Loose Ends on Newly Adopted Guidelines, Proposes New Work [11:50]
Chick-fil-A Changes Antibiotic Use Policy for Chicken [14:09]
Tyson Drops “No Antibiotics Ever” Label From Some Chicken Products
Scientists Find Listeria, Microbial Populations Remain Stable Despite Cleaning at RTE Food Production Facilities [18:09]
Novel Technology Shows Promise as Scalable PFAS Decontamination Method for Water [20:42]

“Food Safety Insights: Rapid Testing Methods—The Future” [27:26]

Who Watches the Kitchen? Book

Register for the 2024 Food Safety Summit!

Taking place May 6–9, 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois. Register with promo code “FSMatters15” for 15% off registration.

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Please send us your questions and suggestions [email protected]