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Food Safety Matters
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.
Dr. Charles Hofacre is the Principal at The Southern Poultry Research Group, a private contract research company, which he established with his wife in 2013. Previously, he worked in industry for a number of years before becoming a professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Population Health and serving as Director of Clinical Services for the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center. Dr. Hofacre also served as the Executive Vice President of the the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP). Dr. Hofacre received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, a Master’s degree, and a Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, as well as Master’s degree in Avian Medicine and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Microbiology from the University of Georgia.
Bill Potter has spent three decades leading food safety initiatives in the poultry industry. Currently, Bill is a Food Safety Technical Advisor at Elanco Animal Health, where he helps clients optimize their pre-harvest and plant interventions. Previously, Bill held strategic leadership roles in poultry food safety, quality, and technical services at George’s Inc., ConAgra Poultry, and Advance Food Company. He has chaired the National Chicken Council Technical and Regulatory Committee and has been active in the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). Bill obtained a degree in Animal Science and a Master’s in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, as well as a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas.
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 Cwikowskiand 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.
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., Director of the Office of Analytics and Outreach 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 Administrationand Kathy Knutson, Ph.D., PCQI, Founder of Kathy Knutson Food Safety Consulting LLC; William Erdley, Head of Client Development at Korber Supply Chain Consulting; Larry Keener, CFS, PCQI, President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants Inc. and Elizabeth (Liz) Presnell, Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer at Food Industry Counsel LLC; and Scott Jones, Director of North American Sales at Meritech.
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.
Francine Shaw, CP-FS, FMP, is a food safety specialist, podcaster, speaker, entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO of Savvy Food Safety Inc., and the author of Who Watches the Kitchen? She has spent more than 30 years working in the foodservice industry and is committed to constantly evolving in the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. Her career has included performing services—such as operating partner, corporate/private trainer, health inspector, third-party inspector, and adjunct professor—in various sectors of the foodservice industry. Francine has also written hundreds of articles for national trade magazines and appeared on Dr. Oz, the BBC World Series Radio, and iHeart Radio as a food safety expert.
James (Jim) Jones joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2023 as the agency's first Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods. In this position, he leads the charge in setting and advancing priorities for a proposed, unified Human Foods Program, which includes food safety, chemical safety, and nutrition activities. He currently oversees the leadership of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR), until the proposed Human Foods Program reorganization is implemented.
Robert (Bob) Manning, M.B.A., M.S., M.E.M., has worked in the food and beverage industry for over 25 years in various facility and senior corporate positions. He is currently CEO of Liquid, and formerly worked as Vice President of Technical Operations at Niagara Bottling. He has spent most of his time in Operations and Quality roles for large companies such as HP Hood LLC, Campbell's Soup, and Niagara Bottling, as well as consulting for major domestic and international firms.