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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.
David M. Theno, Ph.D., is currently CEO of Gray Dog Partners, Inc., a Del Mar, a California-based technical consulting business specializing in food safety, food manufacturing, restaurant operations, supply chain management and strategic planning.
Theno is most widely known for the role he assumed with Jack in the Box (JIB) after the fast-food chain experienced a tragic and massive foodborne illness outbreak in 1993. He joined the team as JIB's senior vice president and chief food safety officer, developing a comprehensive Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan for the chain, as well as a finished product testing protocol that initially irked his former meat industry colleagues.
Theno also held previous food safety and quality management roles with Foster Farms, Kellogg’s, Armour Food Company and Peter Eckrich & Sons, Inc. He holds a B.Sc. in zoology and science journalism from Iowa State University and earned both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in food microbiology and animal sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
We regret to share that Dave Theno passed away unexpectedly as a result of a swimming accident on June 20, 2017. Dave's generous offer to have listeners call him was 100% genuine -- and an example of the important role of mentor that he so completely embodied. You can read more about how the industry remembered Dave Theno in the tribute in our August/September 2017 issue.
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.