In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Steven Mandernach, Executive Director at the Association of Food and Drug Officials, straight from the Food Safety Consortium 2024.

“I never thought of it that way” is something you’ll catch yourself saying throughout this episode full of gems.

Prepare yourself to better understand the harsh realities of being a food inspector, the consequences of the planned budgetary cuts by the FDA to food inspections, how food e-commerce could be better regulated, and more.

In this episode:

💩 [01:07] AFDO and what it does for state and local regulators

💩 [03:31] Understand the FDA Reorganization Plan and its impacts

💩 [08:06] Rethinking the requirements for food inspectors

💩 [10:40] Just-in-time training and specialization

💩 [14:15] FDA information sharing challenges

💩 [17:15] The realities of food inspector salaries

💩 [18:42] A hopeful solution for the information sharing issues

💩 [20:50] When state departments step in for USDA and FDA

💩 [25:45] The food safety challenges of food e-commerce

💩 [32:01] AFDO and lobbying

💩 [33:26] What to do when going through difficult budget times

💩 [34:55] The contracting system between the states and the FDA

💩 [38:17] The FDA’s sometimes questionable risk analysis

💩 [40:23] The sheer deficit of food inspectors

💩 [43:38] Get the F out of the FDA

💩 [45:39] How the reorg is going so far

💩 [47:31] The FDA’s dilemma: a public health or regulatory organization?

💩 [49:45] What’s good about the Food Safety Consortium 2024

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn more about AFDO at afdo.org.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“So, if I were a commissioner right now of the Food and Drug Administration, I hope they realize this is your last chance to fix food. If you don't do it, a single food agency is next. I mean, I really don't think you get another bite at the apple, you've had all of them now.” – Steven Mandernach

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Steven, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

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Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine have just gotten back from the Food Safety Consortium 2024 and they’re sharing everything while it’s still fresh in their minds.

You will hear all about their experience and their biggest takeaways. You will also be in the know about the amazing interviews they have coming your way.

So, don’t miss this event recap!

In this episode:

💩 [01:32] An exciting start to the Food Safety Consortium 2024

💩 [04:19] The best networking event in food safety

💩 [07:29] The difference being in Washington D.C. made

💩 [09:11] The interviews they did and that are coming your way

💩 [11:11] The Women in Food Safety networking event

💩 [13:35] The sense of community around industry colleagues

💩 [15:34] The missed opportunities of our legal system

💩 [16:47] What you can expect in the upcoming episodes

💩 [17:36] A taste of fame

💩 [18:48] Matt’s and Francine’s biggest takeaways from the Consortium

💩 [21:32] Food safety concerns aren’t the same all over the world

💩 [23:47] Concerns about the FDA’s Reorganization Plan

💩 [25:00] The right reason for wearing black gloves

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Stay up to date on all things Food Safety Consortium for next year’s edition here.

Catch up on our interview with Rick Biros, the organizer of the Food Safety Consortium, on last year’s edition, Episode 37 | Integrating Cannabis into The World of Food Safety with Rick Biros.

Learn more about Women in Food Safety.

Catch up on the episode about the FDA’s plans to cut food funding to the states, Episode 69 | A Look at the FDA’s Reorganization Plan and Some Food Safety Mythbusting.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Really, truly the Food Safety Consortium is the best networking event that I have ever been to.” – Matthew Regusci

“Corporate culture has got to change before we can change food safety culture and that's where we need to start. I know that's where the difference is going to be made.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the hot topic of the past few weeks: the deadly McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak.

This is a multistate outbreak with cases in 13 states and one death so far. Tune in to learn more about the facts surrounding the outbreak as well as Matt’s and Francine’s expert opinions on the situation.

They’ll also address the food safety controversy around Donald Trump’s publicity stunt at a McDonald’s on October 20, 2024.

In this episode:

💩 [03:15] The current McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak

💩 [05:10] The source of the outbreak and what we should worry about

💩 [09:09] The incredible shift that happened over a generation

💩 [11:11] The process to confirm the outbreak source

💩 [12:28] When the issue is most likely in the supply chain

💩 [17:09] Food safety facts about Trump’s publicity stunt at McDonald’s

💩 [24:27] Trip down fast food memory lane

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with our talk with Tia and Jill from Catalyst LLC. in Episode 36 | Food Safety Talk with Tia Glave and Jill Stuber from Catalyst.

Check out Burger King’s vintage commercial Francine mentions, Have It Your Way.

Food Safety News articles on this Outbreak (up until October 28, 2024):

• McDonald’s linked to deadly outbreak of E. coli infections
• McDonald’s says Taylor Farms supplied onions linked to deadly E. coli outbreak
• More patients identified in outbreak traced to McDonald’s; Taylor Farms recalls onions
• Colorado and McDonald’s officials say hamburger was not a source of E. coli outbreak

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“I've been in these Taylor Farms facilities, their sanitization routine is amazing. So, if they had a bad batch of E. Coli laced onions that went through the facility, the chances of that E. Coli being still in that facility, either on the belts, on the machines, or in anything is close to zero. They're not clean, they are sanitized.” – Matthew Regusci

“You can't go into a McDonald's and say, ‘I want a rare burger’. It isn't going to happen. They're not going to give you a rare burger. Policies and procedures that they have in place for cooking those burgers are pretty intense. You might get a burnt one, but the odds of getting a rare one are pretty slim.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Doug Farquhar, the Director of Government Affairs of the National Environmental Health Association, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.

Doug is on a mission to encourage US states to adopt more recent versions of the FDA Food Code (only 4 states have adopted the most recent version so far) but this gets really tricky because of federalism.

Tune in as he sheds some light on just how independent every single state, county, and municipality is from the federal government and what that ultimately means for US food safety.

In this episode:

💩 [01:32] Doug’s career in environmental health

💩 [03:30] Food safety in national brands versus mom-and-pops

💩 [07:53] The impact of not doing food safety

💩 [10:41] State and local issues with guidance from the federal government

💩 [12:45] Issues when it comes to meat

💩 [14:49] Cottage food laws: it all depends on where you are

💩 [17:23] The frustrating predicament American food trucks face

💩 [20:10] Selling food on the Internet and food fraud

💩 [21:19] Peanut butter, Nutella, Vegemite, and world trade

💩 [25:54] Codex Alimentarius and selling overseas

💩 [27:10] The Food Code and why its evolution is necessary

💩 [30:44] When the media doesn’t know what they’re talking about

💩 [34:56] Very outdated CDC food safety data

💩 [37:20] Food Code adoption throughout the US

💩 [40:07] Regulation adoption within different states

💩 [41:45] Cannabis legalization in Alabama

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“It's very interesting because it's very complicated and the way we do it in this country, as I said, is a federalist system. The locals, the states, the federal government, they all have to work together, but really the authority, you can do whatever you want to inside your state, inside your jurisdiction, as long as you don't conflict with what the FDA is doing.” – Doug Farquhar

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Doug, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are sharing with you the Ask Us Anything! LinkedIn Live they did on Sep 25, 2024, during Food Safety Awareness & Education Month.

This event was unscripted and they answered questions as they came, and there were some amazing ones. They covered the need (or not) for new regulations, the differences between the EU and the US regulations, the future of food safety especially the role of AI in that, and much more.

There was even a special appearance of Francine’s famous tiara, so tune in for a light episode that’s also packed with great information.

In this episode:

💩 [02:46] What are the best ways to engage in social media as a consultant?

💩 [04:36] What new regulations do you see coming from the recent outbreaks?

💩 [10:11] Do you think retailers hold enough responsibility in ensuring consumers don't get a hold of contaminated products?

💩 [15:44] With the difference between the EU food standards and US standards do you ever see the US catching up to their level of regulations?

💩 [17:40] I don’t have the resources to visit all of my hundreds of suppliers so how do I choose which ones to visit?

💩 [20:08] What technologies/innovations do you see making the biggest impact in food safety in the next 3 years?

💩 [24:23] Do you see audits being performed by robots utilizing AI with our known shortage of auditors?

💩 [33:54] Do you see cannabis adopting the audit schemes used in food safety or are they currently being audited by SQF, BRCG & GFSI?

💩 [34:56] Book giveaway and Francine’s Goddess of Food Safety tiara

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with the LinkedIn Live in video format here.

Learn more about the Book Giveaway and how you can win a copy of Francine’s book “Who Watches the Kitchen” at Elena Montoya’s post.

Check out the Goddess of Food Safety Award and crown Francine received from Saldesia Corporation here.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“We have to adopt technology based upon its ability to get the job done, and get the job done right, and get the job done safely, versus just adopting technology for technology's sake, which I think sometimes we end up doing.” – Matthew Regusci

“There's a definite shortage of audits. We need to find a way to make sure that the auditors that are doing these audits are actually qualified to do the audits. And we're not just sending people out there to mark off a checklist and be paid to mark off that checklist.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.

She is the author of “The Poison Squad”, one of Matt’s favorite food safety books.

Together they explore her outrageous findings from the time before regulations that she shares in the book, as well as ways to make things change for the better.

In this episode:

💩 [00:59] Meet Deborah and “The Poison Squad” book

💩 [03:41] Food in the 19th and early 20th century wasn’t as safe as we think

💩 [08:23] Dr. Wiley, the Poison Squad, and low-dose toxicology

💩 [12:57] The embalmed milk scandals

💩 [17:48] Important regulatory movements in the US and their scandals

💩 [23:01] Good regulations with insufficient funds and little enforcement

💩 [29:06] Francine’s experience as a health inspector

💩 [31:20] How to make a difference and the holes in regulations

💩 [32:44] We’ve come a long way but not far enough

💩 [34:34] The challenges of being an informed consumer

💩 [37:04] The power of cookbooks for education

💩 [41:57] Why our lifespan increased over the last century

💩 [44:07] The “good old days”

💩 [46:23] The ongoing battle against food adulteration

💩 [48:30] Food safety in the future

💩 [50:45] Consumers misdirected anger and Boar’s Head outbreak

💩 [55:19] Revolution by inch

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Learn all about Deborah Blum and her books at deborahblum.com.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Back to your question, ‘How do we make things change for the better?’ We have people like you. We get the word out. We let people know that there are these issues. We don't quit talking about them. Eventually, we get change. It's never as fast as I want it to be. I've come to accept that sometimes you get revolution by inch.” – Deborah Blum

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Deborah, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Patrick Quade, Founder and CEO of Iwaspoisoned.com, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.

They talk about Iwaspoisoned.com, which is a food safety crowdsourcing website. People can come to the website and report a food safety issue, and that data is then used to detect outbreaks, clusters, and trends in real time.

Tune in to hear about the great impact this technology can have in food safety by allowing companies to prevent instead of react to challenges.

In this episode:

💩 [01:28] Meet Patrick Quade

💩 [03:16] How Iwaspoisoned.com came to be

💩 [07:43] Food poisoning reporting and underreporting

💩 [09:56] How Iwaspoisoned.com evolved into a business

💩 [12:14] Concerns around the name Iwaspoisoned

💩 [14:03] How they were able to foresee Chipotle’s series of foodborne illness outbreaks

💩 [17:40] How they deal with inaccurate reports

💩 [22:10] Making it easy to report

💩 [23:31] Study on Norovirus outbreaks and Iwaspoisoned.com reports

💩 [27:07] Iwaspoisoned.com around the world

💩 [28:16] Handling unusual or criminal reports

💩 [30:22] Brand-specific insights

💩 [32:47] Encouraging consumer, government, and industry participation

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out iwaspoisoned.com.

You will find the post on LinkedIn that helps explain what Patrick’s B2B company, DineSafe, does here.

Catch up with the episode Matt and Francine talk about a woman charged with murder for allegedly poisoning her ex-husband's family with Beef Wellington: Episode 38.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“We detected the first major Chipotle outbreak in real time, Simi Valley in 2015, and most of their subsequent outbreaks in real time. They lost 10 billion in market cap from top to bottom, from their peak at the start of their string of food poisoning outbreaks to the bottom.” – Patrick Quade

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Patrick, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are looking into their very own crystal ball and diving into “The Future of Food Safety” on their Keynote at 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & Annual Education Conference.

They talk about what golden calves they think are going to die over the next couple decades and why they're going to die with emerging technology and increase in consumers.

As usual, they say what needs to be said regardless of how controversial. So tune in for a very insightful episode.

In this episode:

💩 [01:12] The origins of “Don’t Eat Poop!”

💩 [05:52] Matt’s and Francine’s backgrounds

💩 [08:10] Assessments and data management are going to change

💩 [08:56] Federalism is too complicated for food safety

💩 [12:10] Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak: questions and lessons

💩 [15:15] Future of accountability in food safety

💩 [17:01] The possibility of getting fired for doing your job

💩 [20:38] Emerging technologies and the demand for food safety data

💩 [25:19] Kitchen robots and the challenges of inspecting them

💩 [28:58] Marketing that doesn’t meet the FDA Food Code

💩 [30:13] The need for food safety in politics

💩 [31:40] Being a health inspector, a thankless job

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Catch up with previous episodes mentioned:

Episode 80 | Don’t Drink Poop! Olympians Swimming in the Seine

Episode 53 | Good Job! You’re Fired. Food Safety: The Industry You Can Lose Your Job by Doing It Too Well

Episode 63 | The Future of the Fast Food Industry and Robot Food Safety (the one about Flippy, the kitchen robot)

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Where we see the future going is not a political issue, but it is a voter issue and consumers are voters. And this is going to be a huge impact. And as congress, as state administrators, and as local councilmen and women start looking at this, they're going to see that it doesn't matter. It is a nonpartisan issue and consumers are going to make a lot of changes over the next decade.” – Matthew Regusci

“We're here, guys. Technology isn't stopping. It's going to continue to go. We're not going to slow it down and they move at a much faster pace than we do. By the time we get there, they're going to be doing something else. And we need to make them care about food safety before they kill somebody. And they're not looking to do that. That's not what they want to do, they just don't understand food safety.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon!

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms