Dr. Robert (Bob) Powitz is the principal and technical director of R.W.Powitz & Associates. There, he specializes in forensic sanitation services to industry, law firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. Bob has dedicated his career to food safety having worked for over 54 years to study, develop, and implement the most effective sanitation practices.

Bob has served as director of environmental health and safety and biological safety officer at Wayne State University where he also held the title of Adjunct Associate Professor in the College of Engineering. He also served as director of biological safety and environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as health director for five different towns in Connecticut. 

He is currently the public health consultant for the Bucks County, PA, Department of Corrections.

Bob received his undergraduate education in agronomy and plant pathology from the State University of New York and the University of Georgia. He holds a M.Sc. in Public Health with a specialty in institutional environmental health and a Ph.D. in environmental health, with specialties in environmental microbiology and epidemiology from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He also has a very long list of honors including, most impressively, a spot on the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.

​In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Bob [35:25] about:

• The overuse of chemicals and sanitizers and why relying too much on them is a problem
• Faulty ventilation systems, condensation, and leaks—how these problems can lead to the active growth of biofilm
• His plan of action when he sees chemicals being used incorrectly in a food plant
• Integrated cleaning and measurement
• New clean-in-place methods, steam, dry ice, carbon dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, and other green ways to clean
• Why the regulatory community needs to buy into green cleaning methods
• Assessing a cleaning and sanitizing methodologies
• Why more cleaning products need to be evaluated to a standard like NSF International
• Innovating cleaning technologies that have originated in Europe, the Pacific Rim, and elsewhere.
• An example of a time he could not find the source of confirmed Listeria contamination in a ready-to-eat processing facility
• His advice to future sanitarians

Bob Powitz's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
Checking Field Thermometer Accuracy 
Chemical-Free Cleaning: Revisited 
Non-EPA Registered Cleaners and Sanitizers for Use in Food Production Facilities and Retail Food Establishments

Want more from Bob Powitz? Find more of his articles on Food Safety Magazine.

Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights [25:19]
Bob joins us to discuss FDA's comments regarding survey results that appeared in the April/May article:
What Industry and FDA are Thinking about FSMA Implementation—Part II

Want more from Bob Ferguson? Find more of his articles and podcast segments.

​News Mentioned in This Episode
VIDEO: Burger King Employee Caught Cleaning Table with Floor Mop [4:50]
FDA Holds First-Ever Public Hearing on Regulating CBD Products ​[9:41]
Kroger and Costco Frozen Berries Recalled a Month After FDA Announces Surprise Testing [21:28]

Dr. Robert (Bob) Powitz is the principal and technical director of R.W.Powitz & Associates. There, he specializes in forensic sanitation services to industry, law firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. Bob has dedicated his career to food safety having worked for over 54 years to study, develop, and implement the most effective sanitation practices.

Bob has served as director of environmental health and safety and biological safety officer at Wayne State University where he also held the title of Adjunct Associate Professor in the College of Engineering. He also served as director of biological safety and environment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as health director for five different towns in Connecticut. 

He is currently the public health consultant for the Bucks County, PA, Department of Corrections.

Bob received his undergraduate education in agronomy and plant pathology from the State University of New York and the University of Georgia. He holds a M.Sc. in Public Health with a specialty in institutional environmental health and a Ph.D. in environmental health, with specialties in environmental microbiology and epidemiology from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. He also has a very long list of honors including, most impressively, a spot on the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Bob [15:12] about:

• What keeps him so heavily involved in food safety and sanitation
• Why it's so crucial to acknowledge and reward good methods and habits when you see them
• Why commercial food establishments don't necessarily follow state food codes
• I-D-E-A in sanitation

Bob Powitz's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
Checking Field Thermometer Accuracy 
Chemical-Free Cleaning: Revisited 
Non-EPA Registered Cleaners and Sanitizers for Use in Food Production Facilities and Retail Food Establishments

Want more from Bob Powitz? Find more of his articles on Food Safety Magazine.

News Mentioned in This Episode
FDA: Most Date Labels Are Not Based on Exact Science[8:32]
Theo Morille-Hinds to Receive Food Safety Magazine's Distinguished Service Award ​[11:20]

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Jerry Heath (staff entomologist) and Sharon Dobesh (director of technical services) from the Industrial Fumigant Company (IFC) about how to set up and utilize a pest management program that is compliant with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and that also works well with a food processor's existing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls plan.

In this BONUS episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to IFC about:

• FSMA's impact on how pest management fits into a company's overall food safety plan
• The main challenge that pest management clients want to address and learn more about
• Changes in how auditors now approach their inspection methods with new regulations in place
• Steps that a food company will need to take in order to implement or overhaul their pest program
• Mapping tools and how they help companies to better pinpoint the cause and/or source of an infestation
• How the trend of going chemical-free is changing the pest management industry
• Action thresholds and how they cannot be one-size-fits-all
• Asking the right questions when a sudden infestation or unfamiliar insect/rodent species appears
• Critical advice about keeping pristine records and documentation
• How technology is already changing the future of pest management
• Professional certification and other ways to get into the pest management field

Resources
IFC Resource Page 
Whitepaper: Implications of FSMA on Pest Management Programs

Sponsored by:

Jeff Farber is the director of the Canadian Research Institute for Food Safety and head of the University of Guelph's Food Safety and Quality Assurance M.Sc. program. 

Farber's most well-known work is a 1991 review paper on Listeria monocytogenes. He's also authored an estimated 50 other papers on Listeria research and risk assessment.

Farber worked at Health Canada for a number of years as a research scientist, research division chief, associate director, and director of microbial food safety. His research interests at Health Canada centered around mycotoxins, Listeria monocytogenes, and Cronobacter sakazakii. He also played a large role in developing many of the food safety policies that are currently in place in Health Canada.

Jeff is the former President of the International Association of Food Protection. He also serves on the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods, the New York Academy of Sciences Committee on Food Safety, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's External Advisory Committee for the Microbial Safety of Foods, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's Advisory Board for Risk-based Inspections.

He earned his Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from McGill University. 

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Jeff [24:08] about:

• How his studies evolved from mycotoxin research to Listeria
• Educating consumers—particularly high-risk populations—about unsafe eating practices
• All of the factors—including family dynamics and consumer trends—that contribute to today's frequent Listeria outbreaks, and foodborne illness outbreaks in general
• Figuring out how to use big data to improve risk assessments
• Why fresh produce and other food groups experience more food safety issues now compared to previous years
• How free trade agreements affect food safety in Canada
• Global warming and its emergence as a serious danger to food safety
• Animals and food products that have been increasingly associated with Hepatitis E
• The online grocery sector—including a new food delivery innovation introduced by Amazon—and how gaps in how its regulated could mean more food safety risks
• The process of producing lab-grown meat, and the need for proper hazard analysis in this new arena
• Challenging University of Guelph students to brainstorm solutions to emerging food safety issues

Related Content 
Listeria monocytogenes, A Foodborne Pathogen (1991)

News Mentioned in This Episode
Tyson Sues USDA FSIS; 2016 Ante-mortem training document [9:54]
USDA to Begin Testing for African Swine Fever [14:20] 
Compost Potatoes | Jose Andres [16:35]

At the 21st annual Food Safety Summit in Rosemont, IL, editorial director Barbara VanRenterghem sat down with four food safety pros for real-time insight on the Summit sessions, topics, trends, and more.

Craig Henry is a food safety consultant with Intro Inc. There, he specializes in U.S. food safety program development and review for federal regulatory compliance such as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). He is a lead instructor for FSMA Preventive Control Qualified Individual training for human food. He also led the contracting team delivering technical content for FSMA human food guidance to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prior to this role, Craig's previous roles were with Decernis, Deloitte and Touche, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Koch Foods, Foster Farms, and Cargill, among others. 

Gary Ades is president of G&L Consulting Group LLC. He is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine.

Paul Kiecker is the Deputy Administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)—a role he's held since May 2018. From August 2017 through January 2019, Kiecker was the agency’s Acting Administrator. He initially joined FSIS in 1988 as a food inspector.

​Will Daniels is president of the produce division at IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group. In this role, Will is responsible for lab and consulting services for the produce industry. He's also held past roles at Fresh Integrity Group, Inc., Earthbound Farm, and as a consultant in the foodservice sector. Will is a sought-after speaker and has addressed key issues in food safety in the produce industry at meetings of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Restaurant Association, the Institute of Food Technologists and the International Association for Food Protection. He was named one of the food industry’s top food safety leaders by Marler/Clark’s Food Safety News in 2013. An active leader in the food industry, Will serves on a variety of boards and technical committees.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Craig [9:15], Gary [20:18], Paul [36:05], and Will [47:31] about:

• Food Safety Summit's new format, Community Cafes, and the new focus on supply chain management content
• Recurring challenges for Summit attendees: keeping up with documentation, lack of resources, little commitment, incorrect reporting, and more
• The need for university extensions to bridge the gap with smaller food businesses
• Problems associated with incongruent messaging from the government agencies
• Why business and financial expertise are needed when making food safety decisions
• How changes within the industry are leading to food safety problems not seen in years
• Whole genome sequencing
• Blockchain technology

News Mentioned in This Episode
LGMA Releases New, Stricter Water Rules for Leafy Greens Growers [1:45]
Foodborne Illness is on the Rise, Says CDC [2:26]
Walmart Welcomes Sara Mortimore as New Food Safety Leader [2:58]
CDC Tweets: Don't Wash Raw Chicken [3:25]

Sponsored by:

The 2019 Sani Awards
No-Rinse Sanitizing Multi-Surface Spray 
SaniProfessional.com

Craig Wilson is the vice president, general merchandising manager of quality assurance/food safety, non-foods quality assurance, environmental services/HAZMAT, and merchandise services for Costco Wholesale Corporation.

Prior to joining Costco, Craig worked as a special projects director for Frigoscandia Equipment Food Safety Systems for over 24 years. During his time there, Craig published numerous research papers in the areas of food safety and food processing. He holds many patents, the most notable for steam pasteurization of food. He was the recipient of the Gia/Matek Global Excellence in Food Safety Award.

Craig currently serves on the Global Food Safety Initiative Board, the Center for Produce Safety Board, the Center for Food Integrity Board, and the STOP Foodborne Illness Board.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Craig [17:47] about:

• How Costco handles employee food safety training
• Costco's four-legged approach to food safety
• How Costco approaches food safety and varying regulatory requirements throughout the U.S. and globally
• The importance of building relationships with local and state health inspectors
• Costco's test and hold program
• Using Costco's membership program to keep consumers safe when recalls occur
• How Costco manages a supply chain with over 3,000 SKUs per store
• How food safety has changed over the past 50 years

Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights [11:32]
Bob joins us to discuss findings from his most recent survey and article in the April/May 2019 issue:
What Industry and FDA are Thinking about FSMA Implementation—Part I.

Want more from Bob Ferguson? Find more of his articles and podcast segments.

Craig Wilson's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
Allergen Management: Challenges and Trends 
Costco Wholesale: Culturing Food Safety Success
Costco Wholesale: Food Safety from the Top Down 

News Mentioned in This Episode
Source of Mystery Multistate E. coli Outbreak: Ground Beef [3:08] 
Albertsons Joins IBM Food Trust Blockchain Network [7:22]

Sponsored by:

Spot On: New Challenges and Methods in Allergen Testing 
VIDEO: Food and Feed Safety Starts with "No"

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