Food Safety Matters

Mindy Brashears, Ph.D. is the USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety. Dr. Brashears previously served as Under Secretary for Food Safety from 2020–2021, and Deputy Under Secretary in 2019. Dr. Brashears returns to USDA from Texas Tech University, where she was a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor of Food Safety and Public Health, the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety, and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence.
Dr. Brashears' research program has advanced food safety in meat and poultry production, with a focus on public health. Her work evaluated interventions in pre- and post-harvest environments and antimicrobial drug resistance in animal feeding systems. She has led international research teams across the globe to enhance food safety, security, and sustainable agriculture systems. Her research has resulted in more than 20 patents and patents pending for innovations in food safety.Beyond academia, Dr. Brashears has held leadership roles on boards and advisory committees, including the American Meat Science Association, the Development Council, the International Stockman's Educational Foundation, and the Protein Pact. She was a founding member of the SAFE Think Tank and has chaired the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security and the USDA's multi-state research group. Her contributions have earned national and international recognition, including induction into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, Fellow status in the American Meat Science Association (AMSA) and the National Academy of Inventors, and numerous awards from leading associations. 
Justin Ransom, Ph.D. is Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), where he oversees FSIS' mission to ensure the safety, wholesomeness, and proper labeling of America's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. He leads the agency's modernization efforts, streamlining inspection systems, strengthening public health protections, and advancing science-based policies. 
Dr. Ransom brings more than 20 years of executive leadership in food safety, quality systems, animal welfare and sustainability. Immediately prior to his appointment, he served as senior director of sustainable food strategy at Tyson Foods, where he spearheaded enterprise-wide sustainability programs. His diverse industry experience also includes roles at McDonald's and OSI Group, where he managed and advanced complex food supply chains across global markets. 
With roots in production agriculture, Dr. Ransom has worked as a scientist, livestock breeder, and global supply chain leader, deepening his first-hand knowledge of end-to-end food system management. He began his public service career at USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service, contributing to the development of technical standards for the National School Lunch Program, instrument grading systems, and international trade facilitation. 
Dr. Ransom holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Communications from Texas Tech University and earned an M.S. degree and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Michigan State University and Colorado State University, respectively. 
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Brashears [4:35] about:
USDA-FSIS' in-progress plans for its Salmonella SAFE Strategy, encompassing a new Salmonella Gold Standard
The data FSIS will be gathering across all poultry facilities and at individual establishments producing higher-risk products
How the new data-gathering initiatives will help FSIS spot trends sooner and take faster action to address food safety issues
FSIS' updated approach to Listeria compliance, and how it plans to address the overreliance among small establishments on compliance method Alternative 3
FSIS' creation of a new Office of Food Safety Scientific Panel, and the areas of FSIS work in which this scientific expertise will be utilized
We also speak with Dr. Ransom [20:11] about:
How USDA-FSIS is shifting from examining individual inspection findings to analyzing connected datasets, and how this will optimize FSIS inspection work
FSIS' use of AI and large language models to help identify food safety risks, and the safeguards FSIS is putting in place to ensure the scientific accuracy and transparency of these tools
How video-enabled glasses and AI-assisted imaging could change how inspections are conducted in the field
How FSIS is preparing inspectors and veterinarians to work alongside new data and AI-enabled tools
The importance of retaining human judgement in food safety oversight as these emerging technologies are rolled out across FSIS departments
Resources
USDA-FSIS Announces Pilot Program to Evaluate Salmonella Control Strategies in Raw Poultry Establishments
We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Elena Medo, M.B.A. is an entrepreneur, researcher, and inventor who has spent nearly 40 years transforming neonatal care through leadership and innovation. She has secured numerous patents, raised over $40 million across four companies, and built a legacy of firsts, including the first commercially available shelf-stable donor breast milk product; the first milk bank owned exclusively by nursing mothers; and the first medical device designed to analyze human milk. Today, as CEO and co-founder of Leonie Health PBC, established in 2023 with her daughter, Adrianne Weir, Elena is developing a revolutionary product that replicates the immune properties of colostrum to protect preterm infants against the three deadliest neonatal infections—necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAC), and sepsis—which together claim the lives of more than 30,000 hospitalized infants per year.
Elena's work is driven by an unwavering commitment to ensure that human milk's unparalleled bioactive benefits reach the world's most vulnerable patients. Companies she has founded—including Prolacta Bioscience, Medolac Laboratories, North American Instruments, and White River Concepts—have applied disruptive technologies to serve the 15 million preterm infants born each year. A frequent speaker at neonatal, women's health, and leadership conferences, Elena holds an M.B.A. degree in Healthcare Management from the University of California, Irvine's Paul Merage School of Business and is widely recognized for assembling world-class teams to solve critical challenges in infant health.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Elena [38:58] about:
Her work in human milk science and the founding of Leonie Health, which offers bioactive infant nutritional products mimicking colostrum to support neonatal health and early development
Reflections on the recent global infant formula recall due to cereulide contamination, which affected 99 countries and multiple brands
Why U.S. disease surveillance systems might miss or misclassify infant foodborne illness cases
What the cereulide incident reveals about risks for infants in neonatal intensive care (NICU) and donor milk settings
Improvements to public health and laboratory systems that would enable earlier detection and response to infant formula contamination incidents and related illnesses
The importance of infant-specific toxicological reference values for contaminants like cereulide, such as those recently established in the EU, and how the EU's response could influence regulatory approaches to other emerging hazards in infant foods
Leonie Health's process for verifying the safety of donor milk
Key principles for clinicians, hospitals, and parents to consider when making decisions about infant feeding when contamination events affect commercial formula products.
News and Resources
News
U.S. Cyclosporiasis outbreak [2:46]:
Experts Set Record Straight on FoodNet, CDC Cuts as Senators Press RFK Jr. for Answers Amid Cyclospora Outbreak
Michigan, Ohio Together Report More than 9,000 Cyclosporiasis Cases; CDC Outbreak Count Exceeds 4,000
Taylor Farms Lettuce Named as Source of U.S. Cyclospora Outbreak
How the U.S. Cyclospora Outbreak Reflects a Strained National Foodborne Illness Surveillance System
Senator Klobuchar Urges CDC, FDA to Restore Food Safety Programs Amid Cyclosporiasis Outbreak
CDC Reports Up to 7,000 Cyclosporiasis Cases Across U.S., Identifies Large Midwestern Outbreak Cluster
Cyclospora Cases Climb, But Actual Number Unclear as CDC Reporting Lags Behind States
Foodborne Parasite Cyclospora Sickens Thousands Across U.S.
Codex Alimentarius news [28:30]
Codex Publishes Strategic Plan for 2026–2031
Codex Adopts Internationally Harmonized Precautionary Allergen Labeling at CAC49
Following Infant Formula Incidents, FDA Urges Manufacturers to Implement Stronger, Substantive Supplier Oversight [29:53]
USDA-FSIS to Expand Testing for Metals in RTE Foods Under National Residue Program [33:59]
Resources
Infant formula cereulide contamination incident:
EFSA Reviews Cereulide Infant Formula Incident, Says Likelihood of Exposure is Low
EFSA Sets Safety Thresholds for Cereulide Toxin in Infant Formula
EFSA to Advise on Cereulide Levels in Infant Formula Following Global Recall
U.S. Cyclosporiasis outbreak:
"Cyclospora cayetanensis: An Emergent Public Health Threat and an Enigma for Traceback Investigation," Food Safety Magazine
"Please Don't Stop Eating Vegetables and Fruits Because of Cyclospora," The Washington Post
"Cyclospora Spreads Through Human Feces. How Did it Get Into Our Food Supply?" The New York Times
"Publisher's Platform: The Traceability Rule was Supposed to be Law in January. This Cyclospora Outbreak Started in May." Food Safety News
We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as 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 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:
The seasonal conditions that allow fly populations to surge and become more difficult to control during the summer months
The food safety risks posed by flies in preharvest poultry operations
The benefits of fitting fly control into a broader IPM strategy
The initial signs of increasing fly activity and the first steps that integrators and applicators should take to respond
How insecticides like Agita can be used in combination with monitoring, sanitation, and other pest management practices for effective fly control.
Resources
Agita® 10 WG
Sponsored by:
Elanco

Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as 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 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:
The seasonal conditions that allow fly populations to surge and become more difficult to control during the summer months
The food safety risks posed by flies in preharvest poultry operations
The benefits of fitting fly control into a broader IPM strategy
The initial signs of increasing fly activity and the first steps that integrators and applicators should take to respond
How insecticides like Agita can be used in combination with monitoring, sanitation, and other pest management practices for effective fly control.
Resources
Agita® 10 WG
Sponsored by:
Elanco
We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Lyle Probst is the CEO of NomadX and an accomplished entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in operations, product development, engineering, biodefense, and advanced technology commercialization.
Lyle was previously a scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has founded and led multiple companies spanning technology development, manufacturing, biomedical technology, and biological defense. He was part of the team that developed the U.S. BioWatch program and previously served as CEO of MicroFluidic Systems, which, under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, developed the M-BAND biological detection system to continuously monitor for biological threats. The system was ultimately licensed by a major defense contractor. Lyle has also designed and shipped multiple mobile command centers and laboratories around the world for several governments and notable private companies.
Today, Lyle leads NomadX's mission to help food producers prevent contamination through innovative approaches to detection and decontamination. He has spoken at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, National BioWatch conferences, and has appeared as a contributor on national media outlets. He is the recipient of several awards and certificates of appreciation from the U.S. Government for his work and contributions to the BioWatch program and related projects. Lyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and an MBA in Executive Management.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Lyle [2:18] about:
How his background in biodefense, autonomous pathogen detection, and national security led Lyle into food safety, and lessons from biodefense that can be applied to food production and food safety
The importance of moving beyond a compliance mindset when it comes to food safety and how recalls and food safety events can impact a business beyond direct costs
Industry blind spots related to microbiological contamination control
The advancement of rapid pathogen detection technologies and what it means for real-life applications
Utilizing pathogen detection data to guide root cause analyses, inform targeted interventions, and prevent recurrence
Potential applications for artificial intelligence in food safety
What the future of food safety programs may look like in light of advancements in testing, automation, and data integration
Advice for food safety leaders as they prepare for the future.
Resources
The Three-Pillar Food Safety Solution
Sponsored by:
NomadX
We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com