Food Safety Matters Food Safety Magazine

Kathleen (Kathy) Glass, Ph.D. joined the Food Research Institute (FRI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a food safety researcher in 1985, where she currently serves as Associate Director. Her primary duties are to assist the food industry in assessing and developing formulation-safe foods. In addition, she trains and oversees undergraduate and graduate student independent study research, and is a regular instructor at workshops on food microbiology, preventive controls, Listeria control methods, processed meat and processed cheese safety, and dairy Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP).
Dr. Glass's research interests include the safety of low-acid refrigerated foods, ready-to-eat (RTE) meats, processed cheese, and dairy foods, focusing on the control of various bacterial pathogens. She earned her Ph.D. in Food Microbiology and Safety at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is a Past President of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and its Wisconsin affiliate.
In addition to receiving the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from Food Safety Magazine, Dr. Glass is a recipient of the 2023 IAFP Honorary Life Member Award, the 2020 University of Wisconsin–Madison Academic Staff Award for Excellence, the 2019 Wisconsin Meat Industry Hall of Fame, the 2017 National Cheese Institute (NCI) Laureate Award, and the 2011 IAFP Fellow Award. In addition, she served four terms on the National Advisory Committee for the Microbiological Criteria of Foods (NACMCF), including two terms as Co-Chair; as an academic advisor for the Food Microbiology Committee of the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS); and is an active member of several professional associations and advisory committees.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Glass [28:04] about:
What led to her career in food safety, and how her research interests have evolved over the years in response to outbreaks, regulatory changes, and consumer demands Dr. Glass’s work in challenge studies for food products and their impacts, such as evaluating new antimicrobial ingredients The critical importance of dairy pasteurization, especially in light of the ongoing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak, and the need to better understand the risk of contracting HPAI H5N1 from raw dairy Dr. Glass’s past experiences as Chair of NACMCF’s Subcommittee on Salmonella in poultry and as Co-Chair of NACMF’s Subcommittee on Cronobacter in Powdered Infant Formula, and insights about the progression of these charges In her work as a professor, how Dr. Glass guides her students to become effective food safety scientists and leaders Highlights of Dr. Glass’s career, and her hope that her work has influenced other food safety professionals to center the betterment of public health in their own roles.  News and Resources
Legislation Would Delay FSMA 204 Compliance Date, Ease Retailer Recordkeeping Requirements [3:18]
USDA Finds HPAI in Muscle of Sick Dairy Cow; Study Shows Infectious Potential of Contaminated Raw Milk [11:57]
Testing of Canadian Milk at Retail Shows No Presence of Viral HPAI [12:46]
USDA Experiments Show Cooking Beef Patties to "Well Done" Kills HPAI Virus
Baby Food Safety Act Would Give FDA Authority to Limit Toxic Heavy Metals in Food for Children [16:08]
Only Three U.S. States Have Adopted Most Recent Version of FDA Food Code [23:25]
Dr. Kathleen Glass to be Honored with Food Safety Magazine's 2024 Distinguished Service Award
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Mark (Mick) Micklos, CP-FS, is an executive dedicated to food safety education and advocacy. His 27-year career includes 16 years in restaurant operations, training, and food safety, the majority of which was spent holding Director- or Vice President-level positions at Waffle House Inc.; seven years at the National Restaurant Association working on behalf of industry, culminating as Director of Food Safety and QA Programming; and most recently, as a Partner-Advisor with Active Food Safety LLC, where his work with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) has led to breakthrough discoveries in Food Safety Management System and food safety culture behavior in foodservice establishments. Mick has served on 19 professional advisory boards and committees. He has published six articles and three book chapters, and has contributed to two guidance documents. He has earned ten awards for his work and is a frequently requested speaker on a wide variety of topics.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mick [2:36] about:
A chapter he wrote in Food Safety Leadership in the Business of Food Safety—a book recently published by BNP Media and Food Safety Magazine and edited by Hal King, Ph.D.—titled, "Developing a Business Model that Improves Public Health: Recovery from Natural Disasters and Food Safety Emergencies" Mick’s experience with developing a formal food safety training and certification program for Waffle House Unique attributes of Waffle House’s operation that posed challenges to the design of Waffle House’s corporate food safety program, but also provided boons to the business How businesses can build a resilient food safety program that is equipped to handle food safety emergencies, reflecting the theme of World Food Safety Day 2024, which is “Prepare for the Unexpected.” Initiatives Mick implemented to help Waffle House locations ensure food safety when operating during natural disasters The importance of and suggestions for building relationships with regulators, local emergency responders, and public health agencies prior to a disaster The meaning of the “Waffle House test” and how it testifies to the company’s exceptional efforts in emergency operation and food safety preparedness A change made to the 2013 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code that Mick helped facilitate, which allows certain foodservice businesses with approved emergency operating procedures to stay open during a disaster or to reopen without an inspection. Resources
World Food Safety Day 2024 Urges Everyone to “Prepare for the Unexpected”
Food Safety Leadership in the Business of Food Safety
Sponsored by:
NSF 
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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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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 26th 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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Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

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 26th 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 to podcast@food-safety.com
 

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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Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com