Lone Jespersen is principal of Cultivate, an organization dedicated to helping food manufacturers globally make safe, great tasting food through cultural effectiveness. Lone has significant experience with food manufacturing, having previously spent 11 years with Maple Leaf Foods. Following the tragic event in 2008 when Maple Leaf products claimed 23 Canadian lives, Lone lead the execution of the Maple Leaf Foods, food safety strategy, and its operations learning strategy. 

Prior to that, Lone worked for Woodbridge Foam as the engineering and operations manager responsible for the safety and quality of automobile safety products. Lone holds a Master's degree in mechanical engineering from Syd Dansk University, Denmark, and a Master's of food science and a Ph.D. from the University of Guelph, Canada.

Mike Robach is chairman of the GFSI board. Up until August 2018, he served as the vice president, corporate food safety, quality, & regulatory for Cargill based in Minneapolis, MN. Prior to joining Cargill, he headed up technical services for Conti Group’s meat and poultry businesses, and began his career with Monsanto.

Mike is the past president of Safe Supply of Affordable Food Everywhere, a member of the Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Council Executive Committee for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and a member of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association’s Research Advisory Committee.

Mike has worked with the World Organization of Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization on harmonized animal health and food safety standards. He has worked closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding food safety policy, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and regulatory reforms based on science. From 1995 through 2000, Mike was a member of the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria in Foods.

Mike is a graduate of Michigan State University and Virginia Tech.

Frank Yiannas is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, a position he assumed in December 2018. He is the principal advisor to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in the development and execution of policies related to food safety, including implementation of the landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act. His leadership role within the agency covers a broad spectrum of food safety priorities, such as outbreak response, traceback investigations, product recall activities, and supply chain innovation across the full spectrum of FDA-regulated products.

Prior to joining FDA, Frank was the vice president of food safety at Walmart—the world's largest food retailer. In that role, Frank oversaw all food safety—as well as other public health functions—for Walmart, serving over 200 million customers around the world on a weekly basis. His scope of responsibilities included food safety oversight of Walmart’s stores, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Clubs. He was also charged with training and education of associates, food safety oversight of thousands of food suppliers, and a number of critical regulatory compliance issues.

Prior to joining Walmart in 2008, Frank was the director of safety and health for The Walt Disney Company, where he worked for 19 years. In 2001, under his tenure, Walt Disney World received the prestigious Black Pearl Award for corporate excellence in food safety by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP).

Frank is a registered microbiologist with the American Academy of Microbiology and holds memberships with several professional associations. Frank received his B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Central Florida and his Master's of Public Health from the University of South Florida.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Frank [15:07], and Lone and Mike [25:08] about:

• Highlights, key moments, and takeaways from this year's GFSI conference in Nice, France
• The value of networking, collaborating, sharing challenges, and learning best practices at GFSI
• Projects that GFSI is working on with various government entities, the private sector, academia, and consumers
• The Global Markets Program
• GFSI's continuous improvement in the areas of benchmarking requirements, technology, certification programs, and capacity building
• The emerging trend of e-commerce as a food safety topic to watch
• Produce safety as a global issue, not just a North American issue
• GFSI's partnerships with STOP Foodborne Illness and Pew Charitable Trusts
• GFSI's unique position as the industry's premier place to bring together food industry professionals from all cultures and backgrounds
• Improvements that can be made around how food safety performance is measured
• Working in the retail/private vs. regulatory sectors
• Government's continuously improving response to foodborne illness outbreaks
• FDA's future use of blockchain technology and spreading the idea of food safety culture

Related Content 
A Culture of Food Safety: A Position Paper from GFSI

News Mentioned in This Episode
Leafy Greens Industry Working on New Water Guidelines; LGMA announcement  [4:12]
Emails Show FDA Worry After Romaine Outbreaks  [0:00]
USDA to Audit Brazil's Meat Inspections After 2017 Import Ban; Brazil's announcement  [8:02]
FDA Requests Funds for More High-Tech, Digital Food Safety System; FDA statement [12:47]

Sponsored by:

Downloads:
Recall Readiness: Lessons Learned & A Look Ahead 
Food Safety & Traceability Software Buyer's Guide  
​
Visit Foodlogiq.com to request a demo

Edward G. Dudley, Ph.D. is the Director of the E. coli Reference Center and a Professor of Food Science at the Pennsylvania State University. He has a broad background in molecular biology, physiology, and foodborne bacteria genomics, with expertise in both beneficial and pathogenic species. His current research program focuses on factors that drive the virulence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and the development of DNA sequence-based methods for tracking pathogen spread during foodborne illness outbreaks, including wastewater monitoring. 

Phil Kafarakis is the President and CEO of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, formerly known as the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association. He is responsible for overseeing IFMA's day-to-day operations and directing the activities of the association in support of its policies, goals, and objectives. Phil is a highly accomplished senior executive with broad experience leading major food industry companies and associations. He began his industry career in the manufacturing sector, successfully leading and managing businesses at Kraft, Jones Dairy Farm, Cargill, and McCormick & Co., where he also served on IFMA's Board of Directors. He also previously served as President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) and as the Chief Innovation and Member Advancement Officer at the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

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.