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Alba (Eurofins Food Assurance) is a skilled food safety professional and trainer, recognized for expertise in regulatory compliance, food safety, quality assurance, SQF, and staff training. Throughout her career, Alba has demonstrated her passion and commitment to excellence in food safety through successful management of GFSI audits and the development of robust safety and training programs, both for her clients and in her leadership roles.
Fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish, Alba brings a unique global perspective to the field, enhancing communication and training effectiveness across diverse teams and ensuring that all stakeholders are involved in upholding food safety. As a speaker, Alba presented at the 2019 Food Safety Consortium on creating multilingual training programs and she has conducted several webinars at Eurofins Food Assurance and the Refrigerated Foods Association.
She continues to drive innovation and uphold the highest standards in food safety and quality, contributing to sustainable practices and fostering a strong food safety culture in all of her roles.
Ashley (FMI) is a food scientist specializing in food safety. As Senior Director, Food and Product Safety at FMI – The Food Industry Association, Ashley serves as a subject matter expert for FMI’s food safety programs. She provides support to FMI’s retail, wholesale, and product supplier members on scientific and technical issues related to food safety, food science, food and agriculture policy, and training.
Before joining FMI in 2013, Ashley worked as a community health educator, where she planned, delivered, and evaluated community nutrition, health, and food safety educational programs. Ashley earned her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech.
Ashley is a Certified Food Scientist, serves on the Board of Directors for the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and is a member of several professional associations including the Institute of Food Technologists, the International Association for Food Protection, the Association of Food and Drug Officials and the Conference for Food Protection.
Belinda (Compass Group Canada) has dedicated herself to enhancing food safety standards and fostering a strong safety culture. As a HACCP Specialist, she leads the implementation of a robust SQF system at a site producing 140,000 meals weekly, supporting the operations team in adhering to food safety protocols.
Her efforts were key in securing kosher certification, expanding market opportunities while respecting diverse dietary needs. She also manages the HACCP program at a facility serving 26,000 hospital meals weekly, focusing on standardizing internal training to improve operational efficiency across sites.
Her involvement in the ISO22000 implementation at ESS–FOOD showcased her knowledge of global food safety standards, helping the company meet international requirements. Through careful audits and ongoing refinement of SQF and HACCP programs, she continues to maintain high safety standards and foster employee engagement.
Derick (Nestlé) works in R&D as a Principal of Product Safety and has been with the company for seven years. He specializes in food safety for new innovations and provides global support within the frozen and chilled category of food products.
His main areas of focus include predictive microbiology, challenge testing, multi-hurdle technology, and hygienic zoning. Prior to joining Nestlé, Derick spent nine years in various food safety and regulatory roles within the grocery retail business focusing on both private label manufacturing and retail food safety. He holds a BS degree in Food Science from Penn State University.
Devon (Long Beach City Health and Human Services) is an accomplished infectious disease epidemiologist with nearly five years of experience in food safety and foodborne illness surveillance.
After earning her MPH from The Ohio State University, Devon joined the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health as a Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist fellow. During her time there, she led multiple outbreak investigations, participated in data modernization efforts to reduce outbreak response times, and developed protocols for investigating local Salmonella clusters, marking an important advancement for LA County’s food safety team.
Additionally, her research into the food safety practices of third-party delivery workers aims to bridge existing public health knowledge gaps and inform future interventions. Devon’s journey in food safety began during graduate school, where she explored mycotoxin growth in maize and its effects on rural Guatemalans. She also served as a FoodCORE case investigator at the Ohio Department of Health, highlighting her dedication to advancing public health.
Emily (Bia Diagnostics Laboratories) began her food safety career journey while an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut, assisting with research projects focused on L. monocytogenes in dairy in the D’Amico Lab.
After graduating from UConn, she was accepted into the NC State Food Safety Education summer scholar program, where she worked on a food safety training program targeted toward artisan ice cream producers. In 2018, she was awarded the first Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship offered by Stop Foodborne Illness. For her graduate work she studied L. monocytogenes isolates from Vermont artisan dairy environments for biofilm-forming ability and sanitizer tolerance, and received her master’s degree in 2021 from the University of Vermont.
Her most recent accomplishment is accepting a position as a Laboratory Scientist at Bia Diagnostics Laboratories. She finds it incredibly fulfilling to be doing science that can have such a direct outcome and provide information for food safety decisions that can protect consumers from harm.
Gabriela (Dunbar Foods Corporation) holds an MS in Food Science from Texas Tech, and a Doctoral degree in Agricultural Sciences from North Carolina State University. She has made significant contributions to food safety while working with multiple manufacturing operations across commodities providing hands-on implementation of food safety interventions, and in academia specializing on Food Safety Behavior Change and Mixed Methods Program Evaluation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her current role as Quality Assurance Manager, she directs the quality assurance function for the nation’s largest processor of high-quality canned sweet potatoes. She also shares responsibilities for training, which is based on food safety culture and behavior-change for effective training. She currently supports the Faculty at the Pan-American University Mexico, with curriculum development for the Global Sustainable Agroindustry Graduate Certificate – 2024.
In each of her endeavors, she has led efforts to keep our food supply safe, being the go-to subject matter expert on food safety, manufacturing and instructional design for training and education technologies.
Lester (Virginia Tech) is an Associate Extension Specialist. He earned a BS and PhD in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech. Lester’s work centers on increasing everyone’s ability to access and prepare safe, quality food. He does this by contributing to the Extension component of Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission by leading food safety education programs alongside Extension colleagues and community partners. This includes publishing research papers and Extension factsheets, creating presentations and activities, and serving as a technical resource for the public.
His programs focus on general consumers, home food preservers, retail and hunger-relief food handlers, micro/very small farms, farmers market vendors/managers and more.
He also coordinates the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Master Food Volunteer Program, allowing VCE to reach more Virginians with up-to-date, research-based knowledge of food safety and preparation, nutrition, and physical activity. Lester is actively involved in the International Association for Food Protection, the Conference for Food Protection, the Food Safety Extension Network, the Partnership for Food Safety Education, and Phi Tau Sigma.
Helena (FoodFix.co) is an award-winning journalist who has led the way in food safety reporting for 15 years. Most recently, she covered food and ag policy at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including two James Beard Awards and a George Polk Award, one of the most prestigious honors in journalism.
Her 2022 investigation on the FDA’s dysfunctional food program and groundbreaking reporting on the infant formula crisis helped fuel one of the biggest reorganizations in FDA’s history. Before launching POLITICO’s food policy coverage in 2013, Helena was the Washington correspondent for Food Safety News where she covered deadly foodborne illness outbreaks and the run-up to Congress passing the Food Safety Modernization Act – the most significant update to food safety law in nearly a century.
Helena is a sought-after speaker and commentator on food issues, appearing on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, BBC and NPR, among others. Her work is widely cited in the media and has also been published in the Columbia Journalism Review and on NBC News.
Isaac (PepsiCo) is a Corporate Food Safety Manager in the Quality and Food Safety team at PepsiCo Foods Latin America, leading the food safety agenda for the sector’s food facilities.
Focused on food safety assurance for PepsiCo foods in the savory, cookies, and other food businesses, he has led the implementation and monitoring of global food safety programs in the region, ensuring compliance with national and international standards such as GFSI schemes and FSMA regulation.
Being one of the pillars in PepsiCo Alimentos Latin America’s food safety strategy, he is responsible for the connection between Corporate R&D and Food Safety Operations to support the correct implementation of global standards such as thermal validation processes, hygienic design, FSMA/FDA regulatory requirements, microbiological monitoring processes, allergens, sanitation, and the implementation of food safety academy throughout Latin America.
He is focused on continuous improvement and the creation of a food safety culture through people’s behavior, always promoting the highest safety standards in the company’s operations, to generate more smiles with every sip and every bite.
Jared (Sawani) has more than 15 years in the field of food safety and has helped organizations establish and implement food safety programs per internationally accepted best practices.
He works with multi-functional teams and ensures that new systems are benchmarked to international standards (HACCP Codex, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, AIB) and is a firm believer in the importance of individualization and connection with others. He excels in working with companies to hone and improve their food safety culture, as well as leading local events which aim to promote food safety within the community.
Jessica (Amazon) is a distinguished food safety professional with over 15 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from McGill University and a Masters in Food Safety from Michigan State University.
As the Head of Upstream Food Safety Controls, she manages a team overseeing the safety and compliance of over 10,000 products from more than 1,200 suppliers. One of Jessica’s notable achievements at Amazon is the implementation of advanced machine learning to analyze millions of customer feedback data points. This system identifies and characterizes safety and compliance issues, enabling timely interventions and improving customer safety. Additionally, Jessica has demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering a food safety culture throughout the organization, leading multiple campaigns and initiatives that have engaged over 1,500 associates globally.
Jessica’s international experience, including launching grocery delivery in Singapore, has given her deep insight into communicating food safety to diverse colleagues. Her collaborative spirit, customer-centric approach, and proactive problem-solving skills make her a trusted leader in the field of food safety.
Jonan's (Food Safety News) work is instrumental in bringing vital food safety information to consumers. He has served as a Staff Writer and Social Media Coordinator since 2019.
As a writer, he reports daily on food recalls and outbreaks. He also interviews scientists, government officials, and food poisoning victims and crafts them into compelling and informative stories. In addition to his writing, Jonan manages Food Safety News’ social media presence, posting up to a dozen times daily across Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads.
Jonan extends his expertise to multimedia, filming, editing, and producing videos for the Food Safety News YouTube channel. His multifaceted contributions significantly enhance the reach and impact of food safety information. Regardless of the food safety sector you work in, Jonan’s work helps shine a light on them.
Joseph (PepsiCo) is an Associate Principal Scientist with the FSQA Global team where he manages programs for ingredient hazard analysis, chemical contaminants, and digital projects. He holds an MS in Analytical Chemistry from SUNY Oswego.
At PepsiCo, he began in the SRA team focusing on chemical risk assessment and horizon scanning for ingredients and packaging. In his current role, Joseph develops strategic initiatives to safeguard brands and enable business continuity for pesticide and chemical hazard related risks. He governs PepsiCo’s ingredient hazard analysis tool that is used by hundreds of food safety associates. He has designed and implemented numerous ingredient surveillance programs to strengthen proactive ingredient risk management. In addition, he is leading project development of data capabilities to strengthen food safety intelligence and industry hazard surveillance.
Joseph has developed many learning materials that embrace PepsiCo’s food safety culture. His commitment to food safety extends beyond PepsiCo as he co-chairs the CropLife America Food and Beverage Committee and is a contributor to other various industry trade associations to advocate for science and risk-based policy.
Julia (Brazos County Texas Health District – BCHD) is an environmental health specialist. She holds a BS in Biology from the University of Houston – Clear Lake. She later received her MPH in epidemiology from Texas A&M University. Julia has since started her DrPH in environmental health at Texas A&M University. It was through Julia’s practicum experience completed as an intern at BCHD where she dived deeper into food safety, foodborne illness outbreaks, and the roles environmental health specialists and epidemiologists have during an outbreak investigation.
She developed a tabletop training about environmental assessments and foodborne illness outbreaks to address some of the knowledge gaps local health departments may face. She also designed a prototype sampling kit that can be utilized by local health departments (LHDs) in Texas if they needed to collect samples in response to an outbreak.
Julia has continued working alongside a team from Texas DSHS to improve the tabletop training. They also redesigned the sample kit which has since been deployed to a LHD in response to a foodborne illness outbreak investigation.
Kedir (Haramaya University) is a food safety professional with a PhD in Bioscience and Public Health, with a specialty in Bacterial Genomics and Foodborne Pathogens research. He has committed his life to protecting the safety of the global food supply and has pioneered the development of new testing procedures for detecting hazardous bacteria in food items.
His efforts have introduced new food industry standards now recognized worldwide. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications and strives to educate politicians and the general public about the importance of food safety.
Laura (Virginia Tech) is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist of Produce Safety in the Department of Food Science and Technology. She holds degrees from Cornell University, University of Florida, and University of California, Davis. Her research program focuses on the microbial safety of fresh fruits and vegetables; specifically, the ecology, evolution, and transmission of foodborne pathogens throughout the produce supply chain.
Passionate about risk communication, Dr. Strawn strives to make her research accessible and actionable for American farmers and consumers. She collaborates directly with produce stakeholders to address and resolve various produce safety challenges.
Additionally, Dr. Strawn is a lead instructor for multiple food safety curricula and enjoys being in the field. She loves mentoring and gladly donates her time to various professional service activities including the International Association for Food Protection (Chair, Food Protection Trends, Management Committee) and Phi Tau Sigma (Board of Directors). In recognition of her outstanding contributions and professional promise, Dr. Strawn received IAFP’s Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award in 2021.
Lindsey (Global Partners, LP) is a Food Safety Specialist. She develops rigorous food safety procedures and leads training initiatives that promote a culture of food safety and continuous improvement. Leveraging her background as an internationally certified Health and Wellness Coach and her BA in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College, she effectively applies behavior change principles to reinforce adherence to safety standards and best practices across the organization.
In addition to her role at Global Partners, Lindsey serves as an Advisory Committee Member for Cornell University’s Cooperative Extension in Upstate New York, focusing on the Family and Consumer Sciences Program with an emphasis on farm-to-school initiatives. Her work in this capacity promotes sustainable food practices and improves community access to fresh, safe, locally sourced food, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and enhancing the health of students and the broader community.
Prior to her current role, Lindsey was an Operations Manager at The Steritech Group, where she managed food safety protocols, supported large scale food operations, and led teams toward operational excellence.
Manoj (TreeHouse Foods) is a Senior Food Safety Specialist/Corporate Microbiologist. He joined TreeHouse in March 2023. In his current role, he provides microbiological expertise and food safety support across the organization. He works with a cross functional team to meet food safety standards and drive continuous improvement.
Additionally, he is actively involved in developing strategies on emerging issues and identifying novel technologies related to microbiological food safety topics. Prior to joining TreeHouse Foods, Manoj worked as a Principal Scientist at Food Safety Net Services (FSNS) for four years in Special Projects and technical Services roles.
At FSNS, he was involved in designing research projects, such as challenge studies, process validation/verification studies, and development/onboarding of laboratory test methods. He also served as a technical expert for microbiology, food safety, spoilage investigation, and foreign material investigation and identification. Manoj has also developed and taught Microbiology and Food Safety courses. He earned his MS in Microbiology and PhD in Molecular Pathogenesis from North Dakota State University.
Mark (Charlie’s Produce) is a food safety and public health scientist dedicated to safe and nutritious food supply chains. He holds a master’s degree in health science from Trident University. He is currently a DrPH candidate at Walden University, where his research interests include food system epidemiology, foodborne and waterborne diseases, and food policy.
As the Director of Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance for Charlie’s Produce, he is passionate about building a food safety culture around world-class food safety programs. Through his roles within the food safety industry, he has authored and led validation studies, built predictive modeling for food safety risks for facilities, and been an effective steward of food safety principles. Mark is active in multiple food organizations, such as FoodTank.
He is enthusiastic about mentoring and training future food safety professionals. Mark has taken an active role in helping veterans become food safety scientists and is the Co-Founder of the Robert Neihardt Award which aims to get more kids interested in careers in food safety and science to help feed future generations.
Matthew (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) is an Associate Professor of Applied Food Safety in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. His work uses risk assessment and innovative laboratory methods to advance food safety microbiology.
At Michigan State University he earned both a BS in Biosystems Engineering, focusing on food process engineering, and a BA in Philosophy, focusing on ethics. At Cornell he earned an M.S. and PhD in food microbiology, working on risk analysis.
He was named in “Roster of Experts” by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meetings on Microbiological Risk Assessment (JEMRA) for 2023-2027, one of only 20 members from the US. The lab has many projects using simulation and risk assessment to improve sampling and testing for, and management of, foodborne pathogens in large-scale food productions environments.
Maxime (Spore.Bio) is an innovative scientist and entrepreneur in the biotechnological field. Currently, as the CTO and co-founder of Spore.Bio, he is leading the development of cutting-edge technology for the instantaneous detection and monitoring of microorganisms in industrial products, a critical element in safeguarding against foodborne illnesses.
His professional journey is marked by noteworthy contributions to both academia and industry by coupling multiple approaches from nanotechnology, fluidics, and computational science, contributing to the development of diagnostics and drugs for complex pathologies like Ebola, sepsis, and tuberculosis.
As the CTO at Spore.Bio, Maxime is dedicated to revolutionizing food safety by integrating biophotonics with machine learning technologies into the field of microbiological quality control. His innovative tools empower manufacturers to effectively manage microbiological risks, ensuring the production of safe food. Committed to combating foodborne illnesses, Maxime is enhancing microbiological quality control, helping to make food safe from farm–to–fork.
Monipel (North Carolina State University: NCSU) is a committed food safety expert with over a decade of experience in the industry. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Extension Education at NCSU, where her research focuses on assessing and mitigating food safety risks in the low moisture food supply chain and assisting to evaluate USDA AFRI SAS, Sustainable, Systems-Based Solutions for Ensuring Low-Moisture Food Safety.
Throughout her career, Monipel has held significant roles in food safety audits with NSF International and SCS Global Services (both, USA) as well as in consulting as the founder of MS Food Safety Services in Ghana.
Her dedication to global food safety is further demonstrated through her voluntary work with the USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program, on various assignments in Uganda, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Tajikistan, and Ghana over the past eight years. Monipel is a recipient of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship and has published peer-reviewed research on food safety. She remains actively engaged in the professional community as a member of IAFP, IFT, and NEHA, continuously advocating for food safety excellence.
Necat (Foundation FSSC) is a Quality Assurance and Food Safety Consultant with an extensive background in guiding organizations through the implementation and management of food safety and quality systems across diverse regions. He holds an MSc in Food Technology and Quality Assurance from the University of Reading, UK and a BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bilkent University, Turkey.
Necat serves as the FSSC Turkey and Middle East Regional Representative, where he supports and communicates with organizations across the region regarding the FSSC 22000 and FSSC 24000 schemes. In addition, he continues to train, audit, and provide strategic consulting for international and national organizations, focusing on improving food safety culture, quality, and sustainability. In his current role, Necat collaborates with certification bodies, national and international associations, and stakeholders to deliver public speeches and training. His dedication to improving food safety is evident in his extensive laboratory and auditing experience, including numerous audits for prominent organizations such as The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever.
Necat’s commitment to advancing food safety is further demonstrated by his active participation in public speaking engagements and industry workshops, where he shares his knowledge and promotes best practices, establishing himself as a respected leader in the field.
Neilsen (Home Market Foods, Inc) is a HACCP Certified Food Safety Manager committed to ensuring compliance with food regulations and customer specifications. His career includes key roles at Home Market Foods and LSG Sky Chefs, where he excelled in developing and revising HACCP systems, maintaining SQF programs, leading cross-functional teams, and collaborating with USDA and FDA regulators.
As a Food Safety Manager, he has developed comprehensive policies, procedures, and training programs to elevate food safety standards. His certifications, including PCQI, HACCP, and Food Safety Auditor, reflect an expertise in preventive controls and environmental monitoring. He has successfully implemented Food Safety and Quality Compliance Check programs and introduced initiatives like Food Safety Month and the Quality Qudos program to recognize employees’ contributions. Additionally, he has led audits and created QA boards with plant-specific information, consistently reassessing and enhancing food safety practices within the plant.
Neal leads food safety, quality, and regulatory training at Cargill where he is responsible for driving the company’s design strategy to make effective and engaging training. He holds a MEd in Learning Technologies from the University of Minnesota where he is now a PhD candidate. Neal’s research interests include statistical modeling of the relationship between food safety training and food safety outcomes in the manufacturing industry. Before joining Cargill, Neal served as the curriculum coordinator at the Food Protection and Defense Institute (FPDI) where he designed and delivered food defense training for diverse audiences including domestic and international food manufacturing industries, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and he facilitated a multi-national symposium on food defense at Interpol in Lyon, France in 2016.
Neal joined Cargill in 2018 to lead the company’s food defense and food fraud strategies where he took a learning-first approach to quickly scale the newly developed programs. In addition to his work with Cargill, he participates in professional groups dedicated to continuous improvement of food safety culture across the food industry, contributing time and thought leadership to develop tools for small- and medium-sized companies.
Daniel is a Senior Epidemiologist in the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Food Science at Virginia Tech and the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
At CDC, Dr. Weller’s work focuses on developing novel approaches for modeling disease trends and risks, identifying sources of infection, and understanding disparities in illness burden. He has led CDC efforts on enteric disease surveillance and emergency response, and represents the agency on national initiatives including the Surface Water Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System. He also serves as the subject matter expert for more than five enteric illnesses, as well as for several cross-cutting topics.
His academic research focuses on the ecology and control of human pathogens in freshwater systems, with the goal of developing practical, data-driven strategies to manage microbial risks in collaboration with partners across government, academia, and industry.
Olamide (Ola) is a dynamic and passionate food safety professional with a vision to ensure increased accessibility to safe food for all. With an unyielding commitment to challenging the status quo, she stands as a champion for food safety, inspired by the belief that safe, wholesome food for everyone is attainable. She holds a BS in Biological Sciences with a minor in Organic Chemistry from the University of Botswana where she worked as a research assistant exploring properties of plants and legumes. She also holds a MS and a PhD in Food Science from the University of Georgia. Prior to joining the Kellogg Company, Ola developed her expertise as a food safety research assistant at the Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia and as a Microbiologist at a MillerCoors brewing facility.
In her current role as the Director of Global Food Safety and Regulatory at the Kellogg Company, Ola has nearly a decade of invaluable experience with the organization. Her career trajectory has been marked by positions of increasing responsibilities. What drives her in her work are the small victories that cumulatively drive impact: crafting policies, scrutinizing supplier programs, and engaging in critical decision-making processes. These moments ensure the safety of the food produced by her company.
Additionally, Ola finds great joy in sharing her knowledge and experience, both at Kellogg and beyond, actively sharing thought leadership to develop tools for small- and medium-sized companies. She takes these mentorship responsibilities very seriously as she passes on the invaluable lessons she has learned.
Noah (Alpha Chemical Services) is a skilled and passionate food and beverage sanitation expert with over a decade of experience leading processing and manufacturing operations for food and beverage service industry and alcohol manufacturers. In his current role as food safety specialist at Alpha Chemical Services, Noah is focused on right-sizing chemical sanitation programs for each facility no matter the size or scope.
Seeing a need to help smaller producers clean at the level of the large, national brands Noah invented the Veracity line of cleaning chemicals which change color to indicate the effectiveness of cleaning process. These cleaning products allow operators live efficacy tracking of cleaning solutions with a simple visual color-change. A lifelong student in his field, Noah is a PCQI, HACCP, and SQF certified.
He serves as an advisor for the University of Maine and University of Massachusetts Food Safety extension schools and teaches cleaning and sanitizing courses included in their industry-focused food sanitation curriculum.
Oluwafemi (Wunderkind Consulting) has over 12 years’ experience as a certified management consultant, trainer, and lead auditor on Food Safety Management Systems standards. He has extensive experience working with food business operators in Africa to align their processes and practices with requirements of internationally recognized food safety management systems standards such as ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000, managing food safety risks, enhancing compliance and promoting food safety and quality culture among employees at all levels.
His expertise has been demonstrated in several domains including product manufacturing, packaging, wholesale, and retail. As a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), he has organized seminars, bringing together experts to share insights and best practices. His collaborative approach has fostered a strong network of food safety professionals dedicated to continual improvement.
His mentorship of young professionals underscores his commitment to cultivating the next generation of food safety experts. By providing guidance and support to food safety enthusiasts, he has inspired many to pursue careers in food safety, thereby ensuring the sustainability and advancement of the field.
Pardeepinder (Kellanova) holds a BSc in Agriculture from Punjab Agricultural University, India, followed by an MS and PhD from the University of Florida, focusing on food safety research related to produce and low water activity foods. She has served as a grant proposal reviewer for NSERC Canada, an IAFP Food Safety Innovation Award reviewer, and a member of the IAFP Food Protection Trends committee.
Her wide-ranging experience in food safety across various environments, food categories, and regulatory frameworks has been invaluable and has fostered a commitment to rigorous program execution and development.
In her current role as a Senior Quality Ingredient Manager, she engages with diverse ingredients, processing conditions, food safety risks, and programs regularly. As a PCQI Lead Instructor, she enjoys discussing regulatory requirements with Quality and Food Safety employees at both corporate and plant levels, providing valid rationales for policies and procedures to foster a stronger food safety culture within the organization.
Pragathi (Chang & Sons Enterprises) earned her PhD in Food Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she spearheaded several research projects focused on food microbiology and safety. One notable project investigated the microbial transfer efficiency of Listeria monocytogenes during post-harvest handling of produce and explored effective mitigation strategies.
To further support her research initiatives, she received the Capital Area Food Protection Association (CAFPA) Food Safety Fellowship and Award, with sponsorship from Kikkoman Biochemifa Corporation. Dr. Kamarasu also developed an innovative plant-based nano inactivation agent designed to target foodborne viruses, including human norovirus and enveloped viruses like SARS-CoV-2. In her current role as Food Safety Manager at Chang Farms, Dr. Kamarasu has significantly elevated food safety standards. She leads and trains her team, emphasizing how their practices can positively influence the industry.
Committed to reducing foodborne illness risks, Dr. Kamarasu is dedicated to advancing food safety and making a meaningful impact in the industry.
Sara Jane (TraceGains) is a prominent leader in the natural foods industry, with over a decade of experience. She has successfully led R&D, quality, and regulatory teams from innovation to commercialization.
With a strong educational background in Nutrition Science and International Food Law, she holds prestigious designations such as Lead Instructor for the FSPCA Preventive Controls Qualified Individuals (PCQI), BRCGS Professional, and Certified Food Safety and Quality Auditor (CFSQA) through the American Society for Quality (ASQ). She is also active in her local ASQ chapter and Intermountain IFT.
As a Networked Ingredients Functional Consultant at TraceGains, Sara Jane guides Strategic Accounts through continuous improvement projects, enhancing their quality and R&D initiatives. Her dedication to food safety is further highlighted by her role as a speaker and educator at industry conferences and webinars. Known for her proactive approach to problem-solving and leadership, Sara Jane excels in managing food and beverage accounts, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety and quality.
Sarah (Wegmans Food Markets) is a highly accomplished food scientist with extensive experience in food safety. She holds a BSc in Food Science from Cornell University and an MSc in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut. She has held positions in academia, manufacturing, biotechnology, and retail, allowing her to bring multiple perspectives to her current role.
As a Food Scientist at Wegmans, Sarah supports food safety in retail stores, manufacturing, and specialty restaurants. She manages shelf life testing, process and equipment validations, HACCP plans, recipe reviews, and supports training initiatives. Her technical expertise lies in microbiology, with published research on Listeria, E. coli, and spoilage microorganisms.
Sarah is a Certified Food Scientist, a Certified Professional of Food Safety, and certified in HACCP, Seafood HACCP, Retail HACCP, PCQI, SQF, and GMPs. She is also the incoming Vice Chair for the Retail & Food Service Professional Development Group of IAFP and has authored 10 scholarly articles.
Savannah (Hygenia) is a food safety professional focused on furthering food safety technologies and research in the global protein segments. Prior to working in the food industry at Hygiena in Scientific Affairs, Savannah obtained her bachelor’s at The Ohio State University in Meat Science.
She earned her master’s and PhD from Texas Tech University under the guidance of Dr. Mindy Brashears and Dr. Marcos Sanchez, respectively, where she developed the qPCR technology of BAXQuant® and BAXLimits™ for Hygiena. Dr. Applegate manages the company’s University Program where she continues to support student-led industry research. Dr. Applegate is an adjunct professor at Kansas State University and University of Rio Grande and has authored and co-authored many published peer-reviewed journal articles with a global focus on food safety and foodborne disease prevention.
Committed to food safety, she and her husband, Ben, live in Southeastern Ohio, where together they manage a small beef and sheep farm to provide safe and wholesome protein to local consumers.
Sloane (University of Massachusetts Amherst) is currently a PhD candidate at UMass Amherst studying under Dr. Matthew Moore. She previously worked as a lab technician at Kalsec Inc. in the Biotechnology and Food Protection Laboratory, helping to develop natural flavorings and antimicrobials, which served as her introduction to food safety and motivated her to pursue a graduate degree in Food Science.
Sloane has been fortunate to collaborate with partners in industry and academia on a variety of projects related to pathogen detection and disinfection. Her research primarily focuses on development of rapid, portable sample preparation methods to facilitate sensitive in-field detection of viral pathogens from food and environmental samples. She developed a novel method for single-tube capture, concentration, and genomic extraction of foodborne viruses utilizing magnetic ionic liquids, a class of capture reagents developed by her collaborators at Iowa State University.
Sloane hopes her work can help reduce barriers to routine microbial safety testing for small- and medium-scale food producers and facilitate faster outbreak source tracking for food safety officials.
Suraj (Red Sea Global) is a dynamic Senior Food Safety Manager leading a groundbreaking giga-project in Saudi Arabia. This ambitious venture, aligned with the country’s Vision 2030, aims to launch luxurious tourism destinations.
Suraj has been a driving force in revolutionizing food safety operations. He developed the innovative Food Safety 360 Program, which makes it simple and effective to foster a robust food safety culture. His creative approach includes designing custom food safety programs with detailed training materials and integrated record keeping, ensuring comprehensive compliance and engagement. With a master’s in food technology and a bachelor’s in biotechnology, Suraj’s career began at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in India, where he published his first paper.
His journey led him to the Middle East, where he gained invaluable experience in industrial catering, luxury hospitality, quick service restaurants and significantly enhancing food safety standards. Suraj enjoys mentoring aspiring food safety professionals by sharing his technological expertise and offering valuable recommendations and support through social channels.
Tania (Assured Food Safety Consulting) is the Co-founder and Director. With over eight years of dedicated experience in the food and beverage industry and restaurants she brings her expertise in HACCP, Food Safety Training, and Regulatory Compliance. Since the establishment of Assured Food Safety Consulting in 2022, she has been committed to providing high-quality consulting services to various stakeholders in the Canadian food and beverage industry.
Her primary focus lies in HACCP and GFSI certification programs. Holding a Master of Food Science degree and a specialized diploma in biotechnology, she offers valuable insights into the development and maintenance of food safety management systems, always approaching it from an operational perspective. With a background working alongside the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, she possesses a deep understanding of developing and implementing effective preventive control programs.
As a SQF Registered Consultant and certified HACCP lead instructor approved by the HACCP International Alliance, she is well-versed in teaching HACCP course, and assists clients in SQF, Gluten-free, Organic, Non-GMO, and various certification requirements. She also hosts the “Safe Table Podcast” which interviews food safety professionals to raise cultural awareness of food safety.
Tyler is a consumer product safety and quality expert with significant experience in the food and beverage, cannabis, and dietary supplement industries. He graduated with a master's degree in food safety and a certificate in international food law from Michigan State University. He holds professional development certifications in food defense, food fraud, preventive controls, HACCP/International HACCP Alliance Trainer, USDA Organic, and PCQI for both human and animal food.
In January 2023, Williams became the youngest CEO to run ASI, a 92-year food safety company. Previously, Tyler was ASI’s Chief Technical Officer, where he was responsible for the certification process of over 3,000 audits annually, while also training and consulting major food and beverage companies around the world to help improve their food safety practices.
In 2020, Williams founded Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ), the first cannabis certification program to meet Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarking requirements in addition to ISO requirements and regulatory requirements from seed to sale.
Food safety is hardly “just a job” for Tyler – he’s a self-proclaimed “food safety nerd” who’s gone great lengths to safeguard our industry’s future through his non-profit organization Show Me Food Safety. This 501c3 provides free resources to small food manufacturers and growers in Missouri to help improve their food safety practices and get on the shelves of local grocery stores. The organization’s Show Me Food Safety Scholarship Fund awards $2,000 each year to students currently enrolled in food science, food safety, or a related degree program who have improved the food supply chain. Through Show Me Food Safety’s small supplier program, the organization offers pro-bono services to local companies that can’t typically afford the cost of an audit/certification, such as a popcorn company based in southeast MO and a small Asian American and Pacific Islander-owned business based in Saint Louis.
Teni (Aramark) has passionately worked in public health and food safety for 13 years. After completing degrees in biology and public health, she became a certified public health inspector, working in isolated communities across Canada to enforce legislation in areas with limited access to resources. Her interest in food safety grew while working with provincial agencies on initiatives focused on food safety education. With the intent to challenge herself and support food safety from a different viewpoint, Teni made the switch from government to industry.
Teni is currently working as the National Food Safety Manager for Aramark Canada. In her role, she oversees the food safety programs for Aramark’s Canadian business coast to coast, including hundreds of high-risk institutions like schools, hospitals, and long-term care. Additionally, Teni led the development of a country-wide allergen management plan and sits on Canada’s first industry council for food allergen management in foodservice.
Motivated to influence others and drive change, she continues to work towards food safety solutions to support industry and impact the well-being of Canadians everywhere.
Yuqi is a Senior Food Safety Specialist in R&D (Nestlé) and has made a lasting impact on the organization’s commitment to food safety culture through innovative projects. With extensive expertise in laboratory research, manufacturing operations, and R&D development, Yuqi possesses a comprehensive understanding of food safety practices across diverse domains.
With a career spanning multiple countries, Yuqi brings a global perspective and profound knowledge of food safety culture in various geographies, which also earned her recognition globally. Additionally, Yuqi actively serves on the boards of IFT Lake Erie Chapter and the Ohio Affiliation of IAFP, spearheading initiatives that nurture a culture of food safety, inspire next generation of young food safety professionals, and drive technological advancements.
Through her career and experience, Yuqi has established herself as a respected figure in the food safety industry, leaving a positive impact on organizations and professionals alike.
