Barbara interviews Deirdre Schlunegger, the CEO of Stop Foodborne Illness. Stop Foodborne Illness is a national nonprofit public health organization dedicated to the prevention of illness and death from foodborne pathogens. Their mission is to promote sound food safety policy and best practices, build public awareness and assist those impacted by foodborne illness.

Stop Foodborne Illness was founded in 1993 in the wake of the Jack-in-the-Box E. coli outbreak by a group of foodborne illness victims and friends in order to address the void they saw in the national food policy arena.

Since then, Stop Foodborne Illness has become a respected leader in consumer advocacy and is regularly consulted by government officials, industry leaders, academia, public health organizations, members of Congress, and the media on issues concerning food safety.

Deirdre joined Stop Foodborne Illness in August 2010 bringing over 25 years of nonprofit and leadership experience. She serves as an advisory member of the Joint Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition and is a participating member of the Safe Food Coalition and the Make Our Food Safe Coalition and serves as Commissioner of the International Food Science Certification Commission.

If you would like to become involved with Stop Foodborne Illness's advocacy work, you can call them directly at 773-269-6555 or visit StopFoodborneIllness.org.

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

• The founding of Stop Foodborne Illness
• How the organization has helped to motivate regulatory reform, particularly via the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food Safety Modernization Act
• Stop Foodborne Illness's consumer outreach efforts, especially for food outbreaks and recalls
• Consumer materials made available via Stop Foodborne Illness on topics such as handwashing, grocery shopping, food handling and preparation
• Positive cultural shifts that have taken place within the organization to a more cooperative approach with industry
• The impact of telling stories to workers in the food industry vs. relying on training/technical videos
• The Stop Foodborne Illness honor wall, a collection of stories from families who have been personally impacted by foodborne illness
• The Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship
• Future projects and collaborations with food companies, government groups, and consumer communities

Related Content and Resources:
Donate Now: Stop Foodborne Illness
Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship
Stop Foodborne Illness Stories & Honor Wall
Video: The WHY Behind Food Safety
Food Marketing Institute
Fightbac
Ask Karen
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: 888-MPHotline or 800-535-4555 

News Mentioned in This Episode: 
U.S. Says E. coli Outbreaks is "Likely Leafy Greens" While Canada Declares Outbreak Over
FSIS Works to Make Eggs Safer
Worst Ever Listeria Outbreak Plaguing South Africa

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Mark Carter is the Senior Software Product Manager at Hygiena. He assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) at the conclusion of the IAFP Annual Meeting in July 2024.

Mr. Carter has extensive international business and technical experience. He most recently served as COO of Matrix Sciences, as well as the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development, where he was responsible for Matrix Sciences Mergers and Acquisitions activity. He previously held positions as CEO of QC Laboratories and Corporate Vice President of Research and Development with the Silliker Group Corporation (now Mérieux NutriSciences). He has served within the food industry as Section Manager for Microbiology and Food Safety at Kraft Foods and Corporate Laboratory Group Leader at McKee Foods Corporation.

Jason Evans, Ph.D. is the Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology (CFIT) at Johnson & Wales University, which offers baccalaureate and graduate programming in Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Culinary Nutrition, Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship, and Sustainable Food Systems.

Kimberly Baker, Ph.D. serves as the Food Systems and Safety Program Team Director and an Associate Extension Specialist with the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. She received her Ph.D. in Food Technology from Clemson University and is both a registered and licensed dietitian, as well as a trained chef.

Natalie Rainer, J.D., M.P.H. is a Partner and a Member of K&L Gates LLP's Health Care and FDA practice. She focuses her practice primarily in the food and beverage industry. Natalie practices food and drug law, advising clients on regulatory requirements for foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and food and drug packaging in jurisdictions around the world, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Peter Coneski, Ph.D. is a Senior Scientific Advisor in K&L Gates LLP's Health Care and FDA practice. He provides technical assistance in evaluating the regulatory compliance of food additives and food contact materials in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. He also develops strategic testing plans and protocols for analytical data acquisition that support industry filings to regulatory agencies globally. In addition to his work related to food additives and food packaging materials, Peter advises clients on global sustainability initiatives, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, and compliance with emerging legislations impacting companies operating in a global marketplace. 

Lucy Angarita is the Director of Food Supply Chain visibility at GS1 US, where she works with retail, grocery, foodservice, and healthcare companies to increase data quality, operational efficiencies, and full supply chain traceability. With over 20 years of experience in program management and process improvement, as well as a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, she has a passion for solving complex problems and delivering value to customers and stakeholders.