Food Safety Matters is a podcast for food safety professionals hosted by the Food Safety Magazine editorial team – the leading media brand in food safety for over 20 years. Each episode will feature a conversation with a food safety professional sharing their experiences and insights of the important job of safeguarding the world’s food supply.
Steven Mandernach is the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), which unites high-level regulatory officials, industry representatives, trade associations, academia, and consumer organizations. Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, Steve was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections. He is a past president of AFDO and current co-chair of the Association’s Laws and Regulations committee. He has a J.D. from Drake University Law School.
Ernest Julian, Ph.D. is chief of the Center for Food Protection for the Rhode Island Department of Health, a position he has held for the last 30 years. Prior to this, he was with the Connecticut Department of Health for 14 years. He is president of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and he has served as AFDO’s representative to the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s FSMA Surveillance Workgroup. Ernie is also an adjunct assistant professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Steve and Ernie [37:07] about:
Recruiting and retaining employees in food regulation and industry sectors
Proper allocation of resources for food facility inspections
The importance of follow-up after a less than stellar inspection
Teachable moments and their effect on behavioral change with consumers
How upper management can become powerful advocates for inspectors in the field
How AFDO approaches messaging with consumer audiences
Leafy greens contamination
Ongoing and potential future food safety challenges
We also speak to the International Food Information Council (IFIC)'s Joe Clayton (CEO) and Silvia Dumitrescu [16:25] about:
Q&A: "Scheduling Nightmares"
I have only recently begun listening to your show, and love the content. It is interesting and engaging while still being challenging, complex, and informative. There may be some past content that I have not observed that answers my question, but I have a question for your team.
With some recent spikes in demand, our plant has opted to fluctuate/extend schedules and has a history of regular (excessive) overtime requirements. We are fortunate to have a solid staff with dramatically improved retention and our plant safety mechanisms have been successfully over-hauled. Now, however, we have begun to ask operators to work additional days and also begin their shifts much earlier from (6 am to 3 am). This is having a directly negative impact on our sanitors who typically have to react to the changing production schedules, reduces supervisory oversight, and may lead to burnout. The QA staff is also not available to be on-site during the extended manufacturing hours. As a team leader in QA, I am attempting to demonstrate that there is sufficient added risk in these methods to rule them out except under defined circumstances.
My question is about the probable impacts of varying, unpredictable schedules on food safety.
Overall a good problem to have (product in high-demand), but we as an organization need to fully understand the risks to guide our actions. If you have any support, I appreciate it!
Response from Mike Cramer:
What I can provide is more of my anecdotal experience with some of our plants where constantly changing and extended schedules ultimately lead to employee dissatisfaction, tardiness and absenteeism and ultimately turnover. We experienced this a year or so ago when we opened up our newest facility in Joplin, MO with the concept of continuous runs with built-in sanitation periods. However, the management of the process was inconsistent and we were not able to maintain an effective work staff because personnel were unhappy with not having a set schedule around which they could plan their family/personal life.
If the plant is regulated by USDA, it would have to provide the area supervisor with a set schedule so that an inspection for pre-op could be assigned; and the plant would not be able to run beyond the time they set with USDA; otherwise, they would run into situations where they are operating without benefit of inspection.
A possible solution would be to modify FSQA staff hours so that there is 24-hour coverage with overlap as needed. This would be dependent upon the size of the staff and their flexibility to work off-hours, but when I worked at a hot dog/sausage plant in Chicago many years ago I had to do this with personnel due to the time the sanitation team worked and pre-op needed to be conducted, the time that grinding and blending started and the time second shift finished at night. However, that was a much more consistent schedule, particularly since it was a USDA operation.
What I would suggest is that the individual also partner with other departments, such as HR, to determine the turnover rate in various departments and how this might impact their efficiencies. I’d also want to know, from an HR perspective, whether this inconsistency of scheduling could put the plant into a conflict with labor laws. Finally, the biggest factor is whether this shortening of the time for sanitation is having a direct impact on the sanitary operating conditions of the plant. Sometimes this is not noticeable immediately but “builds up” over time. It may be an indicator that you are not cleaning effectively due to fatigue or due to lack of time to be thorough.
Virtual Classroom - Our Virtual Classroom delivers the learning benefits of live, instructor-led training through an interactive, convenient, and cost-effective virtual platform. With Virtual Classroom, you can join a live training event from any location, while engaging and learning as if you are physically present in the classroom. Any of our public training is also offered for private groups. April’s course topics include: Labeling of Food Products (April 7-8) ISO 22000 Foundation + FSSC 22000 V5 Review (April 7-8) Food Defense Coordinator (April 15-16)
Keith Robinson is the vice president of pest control services for Fine Tune. He joined the company in 2019 after spending nearly 30 years in the pest control industry, most recently as the vice president of operations training, quality assurance, and food safety at ABC Home & Commercial Services. In that role, Keith led all commercial pest management operations in northern and eastern Texas, plus Oklahoma. A board-certified entomologist, Keith has developed and rolled out food safety programs for national chain accounts across the U.S. Today, Keith oversees Fine Tune's pest control services offerings nationwide.
In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Fine Tune about:
The biggest challenges facing pest control in the face of changing regulations
How pest control has evolved over the years
Why pest control providers also need to be subject matter experts
Common problems with pest misidentification, proper documentation, and more
The importance of open and regular communication between the client and the pest control provider
Questions that clients should be asking when interviewing a potential pest control company
How technology and real-time monitoring are making a difference in pest control
Steven Mandernach is the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), which unites high-level regulatory officials, industry representatives, trade associations, academia, and consumer organizations. Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, Steve was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections. He is a past president of AFDO and current co-chair of the Association’s Laws and Regulations committee. He has a J.D. from Drake University Law School.
Ernest Julian, Ph.D. is chief of the Center for Food Protection for the Rhode Island Department of Health, a position he has held for the last 30 years. Prior to this, he was with the Connecticut Department of Health for 14 years. He is president of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and he has served as AFDO’s representative to the Council to Improve Foodborne Outbreak Response (CIFOR), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s FSMA Surveillance Workgroup. Ernie is also an adjunct assistant professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Steve and Ernie [26.51] about:
Current efforts to improve recall notifications and outbreak response at the retail level
The need for additional funding to conduct more laboratory work and more epidemiologists
What it means to shift resources to improve food safety
Physicians' ability to test for foodborne pathogens, and how is helpful during an outbreak investigation
Food safety culture as an issue for regulators, not just industry
Programs that teach retail level inspectors how to conduct environmental sampling, regardless of whether or not an implicated, contaminated food is still on the market
Figuring out how to deal with emerging trends (online food selling, meal delivery apps, etc.) before they become widespread
Pinpointing the exact risks associated with home meal delivery kits
Creating distance between sources of contamination and ready-to-eat foods at concentrated animal food operations
The change in food safety culture needed at the farmer's level after decades of using manure for fertilizer
Rhode Island's process of investigating individual cases of listeriosis
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. In this role, he is charged with 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.
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 [11:26] about:
The impetus behind the FDA's New Era of Smarter Food Safety
Current shifts in the food industry and how FDA must keep up with everchanging trends
What to expect in the upcoming Strategic Blueprint that will outline the New Era of Smarter Food safety
Similar food safety modernization improvements being implemented globally
How advancements in tracking and tracing made a difference in the 2019 romaine lettuce outbreaks (vs. 2018)
Food delivery, time and temperature control, tamper resistance, and cross-contamination
The future of tracking and tracing
Building and strengthening your company's food safety culture BEFORE a crisis occurs
The road ahead for FDA's Food Policy & Response office
The National Association Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) show provides the most comprehensive representation of products and services for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Retailers attend the NACS show to discover proven ideas, attract new customers, build their brand, and improve their bottom line. The show is attended by more than 24,000 people.
At the 2019 NACS show in Atlanta, GA, Barbara VanRenterghem moderated a roundtable discussion about food safety in the C-store environment. She was joined by Jeremy Zenlea (Cumberland Farms). Jeremy was also the featured guest in Ep. 44 of Food Safety Matters.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we share snippets of the food safety roundtable at NACS [6:57]. Topics discussed include:
How to decide whether or not to initiate recall when a food allergen is not so clearly displayed on food packaging
How food handling and sanitation should be approached when a sick employee returns to the workplace
Decision-making when a suspected, potentially dangerous food product sold in your store has not been officially proven to be a microbiological hazard
Bob Whitaker, Ph.D., recently retired, served as the chief science and technology officer for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). In that role, Bob was responsible for food safety, technology, supply chain management, and sustainability. He also served on the Center for Produce Safety's Board of Directors as well as on the California Leafy Greens Technical Committee. Prior to joining PMA, Bob spent 16 years in the biotechnology arena with DNA Plant Technology Corporation as a researcher, and then as vice president of fruit and vegetable R&D. Bob's career has also included roles at NewStar Fresh Foods and its subsidiary MissionStar Processing.
Bob earned his doctorate in biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Jennifer McEntire, Ph.D., is the vice president of food safety and technology at United Fresh Produce Association. Before that, she was the vice president of science operations for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. She has also had roles as vice president and chief science officer at The Acheson Group and as the senior staff scientist and director of science and technology projects for the Institute of Food Technologists. She is an advisory board member of the Global Food Traceability Center, the technical committee of the Center for Produce Safety, and she serves on the executive committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance.
Jennifer earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University as a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Needs Fellow in food safety.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Bob and Jen [14:07] about:
How United Fresh and PMA work with retailers during recalls and foodborne outbreaks
False beliefs that contamination within the leafy greens community doesn't or can't affect other food commodities
How outbreaks that fly under the radar and go unannounced can hurt the industry
The use of ag water and whether it's really the true root of contamination
Their thoughts on the Produce Safety rule as it's currently written
What trade associations are focusing on for the future
Katy Jones is the chief marketing and strategy officer at FoodLogiQ. Since joining FoodLogiQ in 2015, Katy has served as a thought leader within the food industry, providing insight and education on the importance of supplier management and traceability across the food supply chain. She has held various leadership roles with increasing levels of responsibility at FoodLogiQ, including vice president of marketing, chief marketing officer, and most recently, chief marketing and strategy officer.
Jeanne Duckett leads the Transparency Initiative Development for Avery Dennison Printer Systems. There, she investigates blockchain, distributed computing, radio-frequency identification (RFID), networking, and new technology. Additionally, she manages the Food IP portfolio for Avery Dennison's printer systems and holds multiple patents in imaging, RFID handling, and various aspects of printer design including the design of food freshness printers. Jeanne is a contributing member of AIM Global and GS1 inter-industry organizations.
In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to FoodLogiQ about:
Capturing traceability data in the food supply chain using RFID
Avery Dennison's traceability technology and how it's been paired with FoodLogiQ's solutions
Active and passive RFID
Advantages of using RFID technology in the food supply chain
How traceability technologies are currently helping food companies to be more proactive and efficient
Blockchain technology and smart contracts
How digital traceability data can be used for marketing purposes and to increase consumer and brand awareness
Goal: To reduce the rate of foodborne illness in the U.S. by 1 percent