HIGHLIGHTS
Food Safety Matters is the podcast for food safety professionals, hosted by Food Safety Magazine—the leading media brand in food safety for over 20 years. Each episode features a conversation with a food safety professional sharing their experiences and insights on the important job of safeguarding the world’s food supply. New episodes are posted twice per month; a selection of our recent episodes are highlighted below.
Ep. 218. Water Activity, Shelf-Life Validation, and Food Safety Controls
Brady Carter, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Carter Scientific Solutions
In this episode, water activity expert Dr. Brady Carter discusses the importance of understanding water activity, shelf-life prediction, and practical strategies for enhancing food safety and quality and minimizing food waste.
Bonus Episode: Live from the 2026 Food Safety Summit—Part 2
In the second of this two-part episode series recorded live from the show floor of the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we interviewed Summit speakers from the regulatory, nonprofit, and industry spheres about topics discussed during their respective sessions, ingredient and labeling policy, FSMA, food safety culture, and more. Guests included Roberta Wagner, M.Sc., International Dairy Foods Association; Steven Mandernach, J.D., Association of Food and Drug Officials and Sandra Eskin, J.D., STOP Foodborne Illness; Jacob Nelson and Feraas Aiameh, the Sherwin-Williams Company; Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., FDA Office of Microbiological Food Safety, Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D., the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, and Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Cultivate SA; and Cindy Jiang, McDonald's (retired).
Bonus Episode: Live from the 2026 Food Safety Summit—Part 1
In the first of this two-part episode series recorded live from the show floor of the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we interviewed Summit speakers from the regulatory and industry spheres about topics discussed during their respective sessions, including retail/foodservice sanitation and culture, digital HACCP, cross-sector data-sharing, and more. Guests included Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A., EG America and Laurie Farmer, FDA Office of Retail Food Protection; David Clifford, M.B.A., Nestlé USA and Sara Mortimore, M.Sc., Sara Mortimore LLC and formerly Walmart; Frank Curto, Ph.D., Ecowize North America; and Drew McDonald, Taylor Fresh Foods and Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., FDA Office of Microbiological Food Safety.
Ep. 217. Learnings From an Award-Winning Career in Food Safety
Larry Keener, CFS, PA, President and CEO, International Product Safety Consultants Inc.
In this episode, we speak to internationally regarded microbiologist and process authority—and Food Safety Magazine’s 2026 Distinguished Award Recipient—Larry Keener, about the highlights of his career, important food safety developments, and advice for early-career professionals.
Bonus: Fixing the Outbreak Investigation System
Frank Yiannas, M.P.H., Drew McDonald, John Besser, Ph.D., and Craig Hedberg, Ph.D.
In this bonus episode, four seasoned professionals with experience in the regulatory, academic, and industry spheres discuss the increasing rate of U.S. food recalls and how the foodborne illness outbreak investigation system could be improved.
Ep. 216. Driving Global Food Traceability, Authenticity with Blockchain
Sandro Tarchini, Global Head of Business Development, Cardano Foundation
In this episode, we speak to Sandro Tarchini of the Cardano Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the blockchain ecosystem, about the applications for blockchain throughout the food supply chain and how it can improve farm-to-retail traceability and transparency.
Ep. 215. Aligning Culture, Risk, and Operations at the Food Safety Summit
Suzette Stalker, Director, FSQA Program Compliance, FreshRealm Inc. and Sabrina Terada, Manager, Food Safety Risk Management and Measurement, Yum! Brands
In this episode, we speak to two industry leaders and Food Safety Summit Editorial Advisory Board members about managing food safety programs across large-scale, global operations; 2026 Summit sessions on imported food safety risks and food safety culture; and advice for early-career food safety professionals.
