Jatin Patel is the Head of Operations at FGS Ingredients Ltd. He has over two decades of extensive experience in the food industry and has been a cornerstone of FGS Ingredients for the past 11 years. A qualified ACCA Accountant, Jatin combines his strong financial acumen with an in-depth understanding of food industry operations. He holds a Level 3 Food Safety Certification and has completed Advanced HACCP training.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jatin Patel [20:54] about:

• How FGS Ingredients discovered the source of the peanut contamination that caused a recall of some of its mustard-based products
• How FGS Ingredients initiated and carried out the recall, and lessons learned from the process
• Changes that FGS Ingredients has made to its allergen controls, food safety program, and supply chain as a result of the recall
• The broader implications for food safety standards, especially around allergen control, related to FGS Ingredients' recall experience
• How FGS Ingredients' learnings and risk mitigation efforts can help other companies be better prepared to maintain food safety along their supply chains.

News and Resources

HHS Budget Request Beats Familiar Drum [2:24]
USDA Extends H5N1 Testing in Dairy Cattle; EU Releases Guidance on Avian Flu Prevention [8:20]Pennsylvania Bill Aims to Protect Restaurant Patrons with Food Allergies [14:12]
Trump Nominates Mindy Brashears to Second Term as USDA's Under Secretary for Food Safety [19:35]

Sponsored by:

Hygiena: Innovative Diagnostics Solutions for Hygiene and Food Safety

Allergen Diagnostics and Data Management | Hygiena

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Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Lane Highbarger, Ph.D. worked for 26 years in the food additive regulatory and compliance field with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), serving as lead microbiologist in FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS). He is also an expert in food additive regulations and served as the regulatory review scientist for regulatory submissions at OFAS. Dr. Highbarger holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and a B.S. degree in Microbiology, both from the University of Maryland.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Highbarger [23:58] about:

• His previous work at FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety and how his area of work is important to food safety
• His thoughts on what effect the Trump administration's FDA workforce cuts will have on the agency's ability to ensure safe food for consumers
• What the future of chemical safety work looks like at FDA now, in light of the changes and FDA's newly established risk management "pillars"
• His thoughts on FDA's approach to fast-tracking approval of new food dyes and chemicals so that other chemicals considered "harmful" can be phased out
• What role he sees science playing in the new administration's approach to food safety policy.

News and Resources

California Bill Would Remove Ultra-Processed Foods from School Lunches [2:12]

ECDC: Europe Saw Record-High Levels of STEC and Listeria Infections in 2023 [9:21]

Research Reveals Drop in AMR Bacteria Levels During Poultry Processing [18:35]

STOP Foodborne Illness Opens Nominations for '40 Under 40' Program [22:16]

We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

Kye Luker serves as the Chief Product Officer at FlexXray, where he leads the development of the company's innovative X-ray inspection process and technology. With over two decades of experience in the service, CPG, food, and beverage industries, Kye brings a wealth of knowledge in continuous improvement, quality assurance, and formulations to his role.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Mr. Luker [1:15] about:

• Why foreign material (FM) contamination is a major challenge for food processors, and how processors have tried to control FM to date
• How external X-ray inspection services can assist companies in responding to an FM contamination event
• How FlexXray helps fill gaps in inspection programs with innovative technologies
• How external X-ray inspection services are different from in-house inspection systems
• How companies are leaning on external inspection services in innovative ways
• The ways in which X-ray inspection technology is evolving, and the trends in supplier requirements for X-ray inspection
• New and exciting developments happening at FlexXray, and how these technology advances can help processors better assure food safety.
  

Resources

FlexXray® Foreign Material X-Ray Inspection Services

Sponsored by:

FlexXray

We Want to Hear from You!

Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com