Food Safety Matters

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's degree in poultry science, and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is in meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM). 
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher [1:39] about:
Why pests become more problematic for poultry operations in the spring and summer months and which pets are of particular concern
How pests in preharvest poultry operations are related to food safety threats like Salmonella that persist throughout production
The importance and core pillars of a robust IPM program
How chemical solutions like insecticides can provide an additional layer of defense alongside strong IPM
Best practices for insecticide application to maximize effectiveness and mitigate resistance
Different insecticide products and how they act on insects in all life stages
The benefits of working with an expert IPM and insecticide partner like Elanco to ensure effective and proper insect control, especially moving into spring and summer.
Resources
Elanco Poultry Food Safety Solutions
Sponsored by: 
Elanco
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Brady Carter, Ph.D. is the Chief Scientific Officer at Carter Scientific Solutions. He specializes in water activity, moisture sorption, shelf-life stability, plant science, and wheat production and quality. He has 23 years of experience in research and development and previously was a Research Professor at Washington State University focusing on wheat end-use quality. Dr. Carter has pioneered work in using dynamic isotherms to investigate product stability and establish critical water activities for optimal shelf life. He also specializes in shelf-life loss and effective utilization of instrumentation to address product safety and quality issues. Dr. Carter holds a Ph.D. in Crop Science and Food Engineering and an M.S degree in Cereal Chemistry and Crop Science from Washington State University, as well as a B.A. degree in Botany from Weber State University.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Carter [41:18] about:
The basics of water activity, including how it is measured and how it differs from moisture content
The influence of water activity on food safety and shelf life, and how water activity data can support the validation of shelf-life claims
Ways manufacturers can incorporate water activity into their shelf-life and food safety testing, and during research and development when formulating products
Regulatory expectations around water activity monitoring as part of validation and verification
The realities of water activity measurement that make real-time, inline testing impractical with current technology
How water activity monitoring can help mitigate food waste
The importance of the statement, "water activity is the energy of water."
News and Resources
News
Donald Prater Becomes New Head of FDA Human Foods Program [16:54]
FDA Commissioner Steps Down, To Be Replaced by Agency's Human Foods Leader
Top U.S. Food Safety Officials Discuss Regulatory Landscape at Food Safety Summit
FDA Encourages Industry to Develop Best Practices, Use Root Cause Analyses [20:30]
FDA Finalizes Systematic Post-Market Food Chemical Review Process [21:34]
FDA Launches One-Day Inspectional Assessments [22:30]
Scientists Tackle Food Waste with More Accurate 'Sell By' Dates Based on Meat Microbial Activity [27:42]
Monitoring Data Show EU Food Mostly Compliant with Pesticide Limits [35:58]
Resources
Food Safety Rockstar T-Shirts on Amazon (BE ADVISED: they run small)
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To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Roberta Wagner, M.Sc., Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA); Steven Mandernach, J.D., Executive Director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and Sandra Eskin, J.D., CEO of STOP Foodborne Illness; Jacob Nelson, Asset Protection Sales Manager at the Sherwin-Williams Company and Feraas Aiameh, Food and Beverage Marketing Manager at the Sherwin-Williams Company; Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Microbiological Food Safety, Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D., Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, and Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of Cultivate SA; and Cindy Jiang, Senior Director, Global Food Safety Risk Management, Global Supply Chain at McDonald's (retired).
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:
Ms. Wagner about food ingredient safety and labeling trends, policy developments, and risk communication [2:48]
Mr. Mandernach and Ms. Eskin about progress and gaps in the implementation of FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the 15 years since it was passed [26:19]
Mr. Nelson and Mr. Aiameh about a facility lifecycle approach to food safety [47:37]
Drs. Choiniere, Coffman, and Jespersen about perspectives, challenges, and opportunities related food safety culture across sectors [1:16:42]
Ms. Jiang about practical applications for artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety. [1:44:37]
Sponsored by: Sherwin Williams
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Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A., Vice President and Head of Health and Safety for EG America and Laurie Farmer, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Retail Food Protection; David Clifford, M.B.A., Director of Food Safety at Nestlé USA and Sara Mortimore, M.Sc., Founder of Sara Mortimore LLC and formerly Vice President for Food Safety at Walmart; Frank Curto, Ph.D., Vice President of Operations at Ecowize North America; and Drew McDonald, Senior Vice President of Quality, Food Safety, and Regulatory Affairs for Taylor Fresh Foods and Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of FDA's Office of Microbiological Food Safety.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:
Mr. Zenlea and Ms. Farmer about issues related to retail/foodservice food safety, including the intersection of sanitation and culture, FDA's Comprehensive Employee Health Toolkit, and utilizing employee health policies to reduce norovirus risk [3:06]
Mr. Clifford and Ms. Mortimore about the process and benefits of digitalizing Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs [21:46]
Dr. Curto about building an "audit-ready everyday" food safety culture [42:31]
Mr. McDonald and Dr. Choiniere about data sharing within organizations and across sectors. [1:00:04]
Sponsored by: Ecowize 
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Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]

Larry Keener, CFS, PA is President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants Inc. and an internationally regarded microbiologist and process authority in the food industry. His areas of expertise range from applied food microbiology to the development and application of novel preservation technologies.
Mr. Keener is a 2013 Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a Board Certified Food Scientist by the International Food Science Certification Commission, and a 2018 recipient of an International Union of Food Science and Technology's (IUFoST's) lifetime achievement award for his work in microbiology and food safety. He is also the recipient of Food Safety Magazine's 2026 Distinguished Service Award.
He is a past president of IFT's Nonthermal Processing Division and a two-term past president of Tuskegee University's Food and Nutrition Sciences Advisory Board. He is also a past co-chair and founding member of the Global Harmonization Initiative (GHI). Additionally, Mr. Keener is a 2022 inductee to the George Washington Carver Society and has received numerous other awards and honors.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Larry [40:37] about:
The beginnings of his career in food safety and formative experiences that shaped his understanding of the field and his future work
Important contributions Larry has made to the food safety field, and concepts his research and publications have helped advance
The advantages of food safety professionals and scientists sharing knowledge and engaging in conversations, such as those facilitated by Food Safety Magazine
Which risk assessment, regulatory, and technological developments have made the biggest difference in improving food safety outcomes over the years
The underappreciation of food irradiation as a viable food safety intervention, which Larry will discuss during his session at the 2026 Food Safety Summit, titled, "Food Irradiation Today: What's Allowed, Where, and Why?"
Advice for early-career food safety professionals to "learn the business" and drive value.
News and Resources
News
USDA Announces Reorganization of Food Safety and Inspection Service [4:24]
Federal Preemption of State Food Safety Laws Debated During Congressional Hearing [10:42]
Congress to Hold Legislative Hearing on 28 Active Bills Related to Food Safety, FDA
FRESH Act Aims to Preempt State Food Safety Laws, Proposes Controversial GRAS Reforms
Bill Reintroduced to Allow FDA to Share Information with State Agencies During Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
FDA Testing Shows U.S. Infant Formula is Safe, with Undetectable or Very Low Chemical Contamination [23:32]
WHO Estimates a $46 Return for Every $1 Investment in National Foodborne Disease Surveillance [29:42]
Study Finds Cold Plasma Treatment Reduces Peanut Allergenicity [36:29]
Resources
Larry Keener to be Honored with Food Safety Magazine's 2026 Distinguished Service Award
We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected]