Food Safety Magazine Marks Passing of Founder Bobby Meeker

Bobby Meeker, one of the founders of Food Safety Magazine, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 26. She was 85. Those who knew her know how much she enjoyed her work. One of her favorite places was out on a tradeshow floor, making new friends and visiting with colleagues, clients, and partners. She loved every minute of it.  

Food Safety Magazine was shaped by her passion for providing the best editorial product possible, along with her tremendous sales abilities. Her dedication to producing the highest-quality products continues to guide the direction of the brand under the leadership of her daughter, Food Safety Magazine Publisher Stacy Atchison.

Bobby will be sorely missed by the industry as an influential figure in the food safety world, and remembered with joy and humor by her family, friends, and colleagues. Food Safety Magazine thanks its readership for honoring Bobby Meeker's contributions to the industry and to our lives.  

Food Safety Magazine recently announced that Joe Stout, R.S., will receive the magazine's Distinguished Service Award at the 2022 Food Safety Summit, taking place May 9–12 in Rosemont, Illinois.

Mr. Stout is a leader in quality and sanitation with over 40 years of experience in the industry. He founded Commercial Food Sanitation (CFS) in 2010. CFS provides strategic consulting, training, and solutions to address food safety, hygienic design, and sanitation challenges for food processing plants worldwide. With a goal of building a passion for food safety around the world, CFS Institute—the training arm of the company—trains hundreds of food industry professionals annually through its certification pathways, workshops at customer locations, and training sessions at CFS facilities around the world. Additionally, CFS provides regular training in sanitation and hygienic design at Intralox locations in New Orleans, Amsterdam, and Shanghai.

Previously, Mr. Stout spent 30 years at Kraft Foods. While there, he held a variety of positions related to operations, quality, and sanitation, ultimately leading to his role as Kraft's Director of Global Product Protection, Sanitation, and Hygienic Design. While at Kraft, Mr. Stout had global responsibility for plant cleaning controls and processes, allergen and pathogen control programs, pest control, and hygienic design for facilities and equipment used in more than 200 Kraft plants. He also managed the Global Product Protection group, assuring global support for internal and external plants.

Mr. Stout led the American Meat Institute's (AMI's) Equipment Design Task Force and has partnered for Listeria intervention training with AMI and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) Hygienic Design initiatives. He is currently leading continuous improvement in equipment hygienic design, both in process plants and field harvest equipment. Mr. Stout facilitated the development and execution of the Dairy Food Safety Training classes with Dairy Management Inc.’s Innovation Center.  He is also the Recipient of the IAFP 2015 Sanitarian of the Year Award and the IAFP 2020 Food Safety Award.

In addition to his involvement with these initiatives and other leading industry organizations, Mr. Stout is a published authority on the subjects of food safety, sanitation, hygiene, and related areas. He became a Registered Sanitarian in the state of Pennsylvania in 1985. He is also the recipient of the IAFP 2015 Sanitarian of the Year Award and the IAFP 2020 Food Safety Award.

Past recipients of the Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service Award include Reginald Bennett, M.Sc., Dane Bernard, M.Sc., Larry Beuchat, Ph.D., Robert L. Buchanan, Ph.D., Frank Busta, 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.

Stout to Receive Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service Award

FDA Releases New Food Fraud Webpage

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new website on economically motivated adulteration (EMA), including food fraud. The purpose of the website is to keep businesses and consumers informed on the latest food fraud developments.

The website includes links on how to report food fraud; examples of food adulteration; how food fraud is detected and monitored; enforcement and legal consequences, such as recalls, seizures, and import refusals; guidance documents to assist manufacturers and importers; and a list of import alerts.

EMA occurs when "someone intentionally leaves out, takes out, or substitutes a valuable ingredient or part of a food," according to FDA. EMA also occurs when a substance is added to a food to make it appear better or of greater value.

Food fraud is a common type of EMA that FDA investigates, but EMA also occurs with other products, including animal food and cosmetics. Some types of EMA are also misbranding violations. Estimating how frequently food fraud occurs or its exact economic impact can be challenging because food fraud is designed to avoid detection. Outside estimates by experts have found that food fraud affects 1 percent of the global food industry at a cost of approximately $10–$15 billion per year, although more recent expert estimates peg the cost as high as $40 billion per year.

Food fraud can also lead to major health issues and even death. Some examples include lead poisoning from adulterated spices and allergic reactions to a hidden or substituted ingredient that contains a small amount of just one food allergen.

Click here to visit FDA’s new EMA website.

Randall Huffman, Ph.D., Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer at Maple Leaf Foods, has joined the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine. Dr. Huffman leads a team that has developed and is executing world-class strategies to deliver on Maple Leaf Foods' commitments to produce safe, great-tasting food and to become the most sustainable protein company on earth. He also leads the company's Food Safety Advisory Council, a team of external experts with the mandate to increase Maple Leaf Foods' access to global knowledge and expertise in food safety, including best practices, regulatory compliance, microbiology, and fostering a food safety culture.

Prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, Dr. Huffman served as President of the American Meat Institute (AMI) Foundation, as well as Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs for nine years at AMI. Prior to joining AMI, Dr. Huffman was Director Technical Services at Koch Industries. Dr. Huffman holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in Meat and Animal Science from the University of Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University. He is a member of the Board of Directors for NAMI, an active member and past president of the American Meat Science Association, and a member of the International Association of Food Protection and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Huffman Joins FSM Editorial Advisory Board

Dr. Robert Califf Confirmed by Senate to Lead FDA for Second Time

On February 15, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Dr. Robert Califf as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vote was deemed controversial because some senators questioned Dr. Califf's ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Califf is a cardiologist with broad clinical research experience who served as FDA commissioner during President Barack Obama's final year in office. His confirmation comes at an important moment as FDA reviews COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Dr. Califf was confirmed by a narrow margin, with 50 votes in favor and 46 against. During Dr. Califf's first time in the role, 89 senators voted to confirm him.  

Califf takes over from longtime FDA veteran Janet Woodcock, who had been serving as acting commissioner. Although the White House considered Woodcock for the permanent role, she ran into opposition on Capitol Hill. In a December 2021 letter to the Senate health committee, six former FDA chiefs endorsed Dr. Califf as someone who has enough experience to effectively lead FDA in a time of crisis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) and Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR) has announced a list of draft and final guidance topics that they will make a priority to complete within the next 12 months. FDA estimates it will publish many of these documents by January 2023.

FDA is taking this action to provide continued transparency for stakeholders regarding foods program priorities. Guidance documents do not impose legally enforceable requirements. Public comments on the list of human food guidance topics can be submitted to www.regulations.gov, using Docket ID: FDA-2021-N-0553. A summary of the food safety topics on the list includes:

• Evaluating the public health importance of food allergens other than the Big 9 (including sesame), and questions and answers on food allergen labeling
• Guidance on lab-grown food and plant-based foods grown using genome editing, as well as labeling requirements for plant-based foods
• Action on lead and inorganic arsenic in juice, as well as lead in baby food
• Rules for the detention of fish due to the presence of pathogens, unlawful animal drugs, histamine, or decomposition
• Prevention of Salmonella in shell eggs
• Guidance for reducing microbial hazards in seeds, as well as revised standards for growers of sprouts
• A revised compliance policy guide for Listeria monocytogenes in human food
• Additional guidance on foreign supplier verification and inspection programs, as well as accredited third-party certification programs
• A number of revisions to hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food.

The full list of guidance topics can be viewed here.

FDA Announces List of Priority Guidance Topics for Foods Program

Organizations Petition FDA to Deny BPA Approvals, Limit Use in Food and Beverage

A group of physicians, researchers, and public health and environmental organizations petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late January to rescind its approvals for bisphenol A (BPA). The petition called FDA to revoke its approval for BPA in adhesives in coatings and set a strict limit on its use in plastics that are used for food.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released new findings that show that harmful effects from BPA exposure can occur at levels that are 100,000 times lower than previously found. The "safe level" is more than 5,000 times less than the levels to which what FDA says most Americans are safely exposed.

The coalition is asking FDA to limit uses of BPA in food contact articles in which the BPA may migrate into food. BPA can be used to make polycarbonate and other plastics, which can be found in food containers, tableware, pitchers, storage containers, and other packaging. The chemical is also used in epoxy resins that line the inside of metal products and bottle tops. BPA is believed to be able to migrate from containers or equipment into foods and beverages.

EFSA's panel of experts produced findings that show that BPA's effects are worse than previously believed. Even low exposures to BPA can lead to extreme inflammation, produced by an overactive immune system, as well as ovarian changes, endocrine disruption, and short-term memory and learning issues, says the panel.

FMI—The Food Industry Association has named Carey Allen as Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for its SQF food safety certification program.

Greater Omaha Packing welcomes Kirby Childs, Ph.D., as Vice President of Food Safety and Technical Resources.

Nathan Annis will succeed Fred Halvin as Vice President of Corporate Development at Hormel Foods Corp.

Ocean Mist Farms promoted Bobby Bellew to Director of Farming, Serafin Ruiz to Director of Harvesting, and Glen Alameda to Director of Supply Chain and Compliance.

The Global Cold Chain Alliance is pleased to announce Brian Lynch as Executive Vice President of Business Development and Executive Director of the Controlled Environment Builders Association, James Rogers as Vice President of Business Development, Katie Sastre as Manager of Business Development, and Madison Jaco as Manager of International Programs.

Revol Greens has appointed Dinesh Babu as Vice President of Food Safety.

FlexXray has announced the addition of Kurt Westmoreland as Chief Commercial Officer.

Consumer Brands Association has appointed John Hewitt as Vice President of the organization's packaging sustainability practice.

ONLINE & OF NOTE

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has debuted a new video that provides an overview of the 2021 Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act. The FASTER Act will add sesame to the list of major food allergens effective January 1, 2023. The video includes basic information about the FASTER Act and helps answer frequently asked questions FDA has received from the food industry and other stakeholders. It also includes information about U.S. food allergen requirements, how major food allergens are defined, and FDA's implementation of the FASTER Act.

youtube.com/watch?v=Bhw1rLUNRLM