SCROLL
DOWN
Busta to Receive Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service Award
Food Safety Magazine has recently announced that Frank Busta, Ph.D., will receive the magazine’s Distinguished Service Award at the 2021 Food Safety Summit, May 11–13.
Dr. Busta is the director emeritus of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD; now Food Protection & Defense Institute) and professor emeritus of food microbiology at the University of Minnesota. He was named as the first director of NCFPD in 2004. Previously, he held faculty positions at the University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University, and the University of Florida. He served as chair of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition from 1984 to 1987 at the University of Florida and head of the Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Minnesota, from 1987 to 1997. Dr. Busta’s research areas are in food safety, growth, and survival of microorganisms after environmental stress in food, microbial ecology, and food defense. He has published more than 125 refereed research papers. He has served as Chief Technology Advisor on a UNDP project in China on agri-processing within the WTO framework. He retired in 2002 from the International Commission on the Microbiological Specifications for Food after 15 years of service. He is a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST, in the UK), of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and of the Academy of the International Union of Food Science and Technology. He received the IAFP Honorary Life Membership Award in 2009 and gave the Silliker Lecture at IAFP in 2015. He received the IFT Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and the Myron Solberg Award from IFT in 2017. He chaired the Food Forum of the Institute of Medicine in the National Academies from 2011 to 2014. He was president of IFT in 1995–1996. Dr. Busta served as Senior Science Advisor to NCFPD from 2007 to 2014. He is a Certified Food Scientist (IFT), a Registered Scientist (IFST), and a Registered Specialist in Food, Dairy, and Sanitation Microbiology (National Registry of Microbiologists, AAM). He received his B.A. and M.Sc. from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.
Past recipients of the award include Reginald Bennett, M.Sc., Dane Bernard, M.Sc., Larry Beuchat, Ph.D., Robert L. Buchanan, Ph.D., John N. Butts, Ph.D., Darin Detwiler, Ph.D., Keith Ito, Allen Katsuyama, Connie Kirby, M.Sc., John W. Larkin, Ph.D., Huub Lelieveld, Barbara Masters, D.V.M., Ann Marie McNamara, Ph.D., Theodora Morille-Hinds, M.Sc., William Sperber, Ph.D., Steve Taylor, Ph.D., David Theno, Ph.D., Bruce Tompkin, Ph.D., and Don L. Zink, Ph.D.
Image credit: Dr_Microbe/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
Nguyen and Badour Join FSM Editorial Advisory Board
Stephanie Nguyen, M.Sc., a microbiologist and process authority, and Jessica Badour, a research outreach specialist, have joined the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. Stephanie is a principal microbiologist, food safety and microbiology, at Conagra Brands. She also works in the area of thermal processing. Stephanie has been involved in many R&D innovation projects, supporting multiple brands and processing platforms, as well as helping design and execute microbial validation and challenge studies. Additionally, she conducts portfolio risk assessments, recommends risk mitigation strategies and approaches, and responds to food safety-related special situations. She received her M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in food science and technology and microbiology from Iowa State University. Jessica Badour is currently the Rapid Response Team program manager and outreach coordinator at the Georgia Department of Agriculture, where she focuses on food-related incident management and recall communications, while facilitating educational and promotional outreach opportunities. Jessica is a key player in many local, regional, and national associations, including the Association of Food & Drug Officials of the Southern States and the Georgia Environmental Health Association.
WHO Studies National Burden of Foodborne Diseases
A new article by the World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting challenges of estimating the burden of foodborne diseases in locations with fewer resources and the role that international organizations play in helping countries develop capacity and conduct studies in these areas.
Estimates from 2015 showed that every year, over 23 million people in Europe become ill and 5,000 die from eating contaminated food. Many European countries have worked to implement regular studies of the national burden of foodborne diseases. Despite making some progress, the current burden-of-disease landscape remains inconsistent, and researchers are struggling to translate their findings into useful data for policy makers.
WHO supports the efforts of European Union Member States to generate data and information needed to make risk-based food decisions by building networks across sectors, stakeholders, and national borders.
Informed risk-management decisions are made by studying foodborne diseases. This is a key priority of the WHO’s forthcoming Global Food Safety Strategy, which will provide a framework to guide governments and strengthen national food safety control systems.
Member States will be able to use the new WHO guidance to develop and launch their national studies.
Image credit: Dr_Microbe/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
Baby Food in the Spotlight: FDA Plays Catch-Up
In response to a congressional report released February 4 that revealed that some baby food contains toxic levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced new actions aimed at preventing or reducing the presence of toxic heavy metals that may be found in these foods, as even low levels of these metals can cause irreparable damage to brain development. FDA and the World Health Organization have declared these metals dangerous to humans, especially to babies and children, who are the most vulnerable population.
FDA issued a letter to manufacturers of foods for babies and young children covered by the preventive control provisions of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food rule, reminding them of their existing responsibilities related to these efforts. Additionally, the agency has announced that it will soon be assembling a course of actions aimed at reducing toxic elements in foods for babies and young children to levels as low as is reasonably achievable.
FDA intends to issue guidance to identify action levels for contaminants in key foods, with plans to regularly revisit those levels and lower them if appropriate, as well as provide guidance to industry on how to meet their obligations under current regulations. Inspections of affected manufacturers will be increased and, if needed, enforcement actions will be taken for noncompliance. Sampling of foods for babies and young children will also be increased and results will be made transparent. Further, FDA intends to work with academia and industry to support research and development of additional safety information on toxic elements in foods for babies and young children and additional steps that industry can take to further reduce levels.
These new activities will further the agency’s ongoing efforts in this area, including its work in 2020 to finalize an action level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. FDA will be working to develop additional action levels, finalize its draft guidance on reducing inorganic arsenic in apple juice, and publish a draft guidance that will establish action levels for lead in juices. These activities, along with the increases in sampling and reporting mentioned above, will help drive down levels of toxic elements in foods.
Image credit: 279photo/iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
Food Safety Magazine editorial advisory board member Wendy White, M.Sc., was recently promoted to industry manager for food and beverage at Georgia Tech’s Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) announced the addition of Elissa McLerran Gilliam as senior director of public policy and the promotions of Adrienne Seiling to senior vice president of strategic communications and Brian Peteritas to senior director of marketing and communications. AFFI also elected new officers and directors to its board of directors during its annual membership meeting: Julia Sabin of The J.M. Smucker Co. as chair; John Tentomas of Nature’s Touch as vice chair; and Meghan Swan of J.R. Simplot Company as immediate past chair.
Motion, a distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts, is pleased to announce seven recent promotions to key field management positions: Logan Carden was named Nashville division vice president; Bill Carroll was promoted to vice president of the Philadelphia division; Tami DeWeese will lead the Pacific Northwest division as its vice president; Dan Pike was promoted to vice president of the St. Louis division; Dave Purvis was named Midwest Group vice president; Steve Kammeyer was named area vice president for corporate accounts, West Group; and Lisa Solomon was promoted to area vice president for corporate accounts, Central Group.
Powder Process-Solutions, a manufacturer of sanitary pneumatic conveying and bulk powder-handling equipment, is pleased to announce that Scott Lodermeier has been appointed to the board of directors of 3-A Sanitary Standards Inc.
Kutol Products Company has announced the addition of Robert Carey as western regional sales manager.
Food Safety Magazine editorial advisory board member Bala Kottapalli, Ph.D., has recently joined Walmart as the director, food safety science –U.S. and Global.
Schust, a provider of industrial ventilation solutions, has hired Matt Baker as project manager.
ECD, an innovator of thermal monitoring and analysis technology, has announced that 26-year staffer Tara Fischer is now the exclusive owner and president of the company.
Hygiena Now Part of EW GROUP
EW GROUP, a German strategic holding company in the field of animal breeding, health, nutrition, and diagnostics, has recently acquired Hygiena, a food safety and environmental testing solutions company based in California. The newly formed group of companies under the Hygiena umbrella will include BioChek, a global veterinary diagnostics company, as well as Biotecon, a developer of molecular and microbiological methods in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Both companies are subsidiaries of the EW GROUP, expanding Hygiena’s food safety portfolio with attractive molecular diagnostic capabilities, sample preparation, and veterinary diagnostics.
Industrial Magnetics Inc. Acquires Walker Magnetics
Industrial Magnetics Inc. has announced the acquisition of substantially all the assets of Walker Magnetics Group Inc., North America’s oldest industrial magnet manufacturer. The acquisition marks Industrial Magnetics’ next step in expanding the company’s permanent, electromagnetic, and electro-permanent magnetic technology and systems for industrial applications. It also broadens the company’s industry-best roster of lift magnets and establishes Industrial Magnetics as a leader in the workholding segment with a complete lineup of permanent, electromagnetic, and electro-permanent magnetic chucks.
ONLINE & OF NOTE
A robust and diverse food supply is an essential part of the health-and-nutrition response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The World Health Organization, together with its partners, is providing nutrition and food safety guidance and advice during the COVID-19 pandemic for governments, food businesses, health workers, and the general public to maintain good health and prevent malnutrition in all its forms. This site is regularly updated, based on new scientific evidence as the pandemic evolves.
