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Food Safety Matters

Food Safety Matters

By: Food Safety Magazine
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 Food Safety Matters is a podcast for food safety professionals hosted by the Food Safety Magazine editorial team – the leading media brand in food safety for over 20 years. Each episode will feature a conversation with a food safety professional sharing their experiences and insights into the important job of safeguarding the world's food supply.2025 Food Safety Magazine Art Cooking Food & Wine Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Ep. 208: Reviewing 2025—A Year of Change for Food Safety Policy

    Ep. 208: Reviewing 2025—A Year of Change for Food Safety Policy
    Dec 23 2025
    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2025 and their implications. We cover: The Trump Administration's impact on federal agencies overseeing food safety [7:52]: FDA, CDC Ordered to Temporarily Pause All External Communications, Obtain Trump Admin Approval RFK Jr. Confirmed as HHS Secretary; Widespread Firings Coming to FDA, CDC USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong Dismissed by Trump Administration Brooke Rollins Confirmed as Secretary of Agriculture, Cites 'Aggressive Plan' to Eliminate USDA Jobs FDA Leader Jim Jones Resigns After 89 'Indiscriminate' Firings in Human Foods Program Attorney Kyle Diamantas Expected to Replace Jim Jones as FDA Deputy Commissioner of Human Foods FDA Spending Freeze Leaves Staffers Feeling 'Dangerously Unprepared' for Next Foodborne Illness Outbreak Federal Workforce Data Reveal Impact of Trump Admin RIFs on USDA Food Safety Expertise More Than 15,000 USDA Employees Take Trump Administration's Resignation Offer FDA Suspends Milk Quality Testing Amid Health and Human Services Cuts Entire Departments of CDC Outbreak Experts Fired, Rehired During Shutdown RIFs FDA Reportedly Reinstating Some Fired Food Safety Scientists, Inspection Support Staff Government Shutdown Affects Food Safety: HHS Furloughs Employees, FDA Pauses CORE Investigation Table Ep. 196. Dr. Lane Highbarger: How the FDA Workforce Cuts May Impact Food Safety Dozens of Prominent Food Safety Stakeholders Call for Reinstatement of NACMCF and NACMPI USDA Withdraws Proposed Regulatory Framework for Salmonella in Poultry After Years of Development USDA Indefinitely Delays Enforcement of Salmonella as Adulterant in Raw Breaded, Stuffed Chicken CDC Slashes FoodNet Surveillance From Eight Foodborne Pathogens to Two Public Health Professionals, Groups Demand Resignation of HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Trump-Appointed CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez Fired After Clashes With Secretary Kennedy RFK Jr.'s Second in Command Named CDC Acting Director Following Sudden Firing Federal Layoffs to Hit HHS Amid Government Shutdown, May Affect Food Safety Staffers FDA Delays FSMA 204 Traceability Rule Compliance Date by 30 Months States and the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement declare war on "toxic" food chemicals and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) [27:52]: FDA Announces Plan to Phase Out Synthetic, Petroleum-Based Food Dyes From U.S. Food Supply Bonus Episode: Diamantas and Choiniere: FDA Focuses on Produce Safety, MAHA, Culture, and More MAHA Report Sets Stage for Overhaul of Food Chemicals, Environmental Contaminants, and Childhood Nutrition What the Final MAHA Report Could Mean for Food Safety FDA Announces 'Proactive' Post-Market Chemical Review Program to Keep Food Supply Safe FDA Adds Six Artificial Food Dyes to List of Chemicals Under Post-Market Review FDA to Issue Proposed Rule Tightening GRAS Oversight FDA's Developing Rule to Tighten GRAS Oversight Moves to White House FDA, USDA Issue Joint RFI to Address the Risks of Ultra-Processed Foods California Enacts Law Defining Ultra-Processed Foods, Will Ban UPFs in Schools Food Industry Stakeholders Share Input on FDA, USDA's Intent to Define UPFs MAHA Pushback Kills 'Big Food'-Aligned Legislative Effort to Stop State Food Laws Industry Giants Support New Coalition Aimed at Stopping MAHA-Aligned State Food Additive Bans More Than 80 Groups Urge Congress Not to Block State Food Additives Bans Ep. 187. Rainer and Coneski: Evolving Legislation Around Food Packaging Chemicals and Additives—Implications for Industry Ep. 199. George Misko: The Future of Food Regulation Under MAHA Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation Ep. 207. Brian Sylvester: Preparing for 'MAHA'-Driven Policy Changes on Food Dyes, UPFs, GRAS FDA's focus on infant formula safety and the infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart formula [57:44]: FDA Publishes Long-Term Strategy to Increase Resiliency of U.S. Infant Formula Market FDA Launches 'Operation Stork Speed' to Improve Infant Formula Safety, Including Contaminant Testing Infants Nationwide Hospitalized With Botulism After Consuming ByHeart Formula ByHeart Outbreak Grows: 31 Infants in 15 States Hospitalized for Botulism From Tainted Formula Infant Botulism Spike Exceeds 100 Cases, Extent of ByHeart's Involvement Unclear A History of Food Safety Failures at ByHeart, the Formula Company Behind Infant Botulism Outbreak ByHeart Finds Widespread Contamination in Infant Formula as Botulism Outbreak Grows; FDA Publishes Inspection Reports Coalition Urges RFK Jr. to Fix Infant Formula Oversight Problems that Allowed Infant Botulism Outbreak FDA Urges Industry to Improve Recall Efficiency After Delay in Removing ByHeart Formula from Stores Emerging science on Listeria monocytogenes and biofilms [1:08:26]: Study Shows Water Hoses as Reservoirs for Biofilms in Food Processing Facilities Study Demonstrates Listeria's Ability to Colonize,...
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Ep. 207. Brian Sylvester: Preparing for 'MAHA'-Driven Policy Changes on Food Dyes, UPFs, GRAS

    Ep. 207. Brian Sylvester: Preparing for 'MAHA'-Driven Policy Changes on Food Dyes, UPFs, GRAS
    Dec 9 2025

    Brian P. Sylvester, J.D. is a Partner and Head of Food Regulatory in Morrison Foerster's FDA and Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, and is an influential thought leader and practitioner in food tech regulation. Brian counsels clients across the full lifecycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and fermentation-derived food ingredients, among others. He has been recognized by several legal industry awards and publications such as Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal.

    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Brian [35:44] about:

    • State-level food additive regulatory developments since the passage of the California Food Safety Act in October 2023
    • How the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) movement is shaping federal food additive and nutrition regulations
    • Challenges and questions that arise from the growing number of state-level food regulations, including legality and constitutionality, implications for interstate commerce, and ensuring compliance
    • Industry responses to FDA's push to phase out synthetic food dyes from the U.S. food supply
    • California's recently passed legislation to establish a legal definition for ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and how it might affect a federally recognized UPF definition to be established in the future
    • Practical recommendations for companies navigating the rapidly evolving U.S. regulatory landscape around food.

    News and Resources

    News

    USDA Indefinitely Delays Enforcement of Salmonella as Adulterant in Raw Breaded, Stuffed Chicken [4:41]

    Contamination in Infant Formula as Botulism Outbreak Grows; FDA Publishes Inspection Reports [18:38]

    Unsolved German E. coli Outbreak Grows, Sickening Hundreds [28:52]

    Codex Commission Adopts New International Food Standards at 48th Session [32:37]
    Codex Committee Discussions Held at CAC48 Cover Key Fishery Initiatives

    Resources

    Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation

    We Want to Hear from You!
    Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Ep. 206. Jay Berglind: In Fearless Pursuit of Safer Eggs and Food Safety Innovation

    Ep. 206. Jay Berglind: In Fearless Pursuit of Safer Eggs and Food Safety Innovation
    Nov 25 2025

    Jay Berglind is a nationally respected food safety expert and the principal of Aegis Foods, a consultancy focused on strengthening food safety systems across the supply chain. Aegis Foods is also the maker of Fearless Eggs, the only pasteurized in-shell and poached eggs that are safe to eat raw. With more than 25 years of experience in food manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance, Jay is a trusted voice on preventing foodborne illness, understanding federal regulations, and responding to product recalls.

    Jay has served in leadership roles overseeing food safety and quality programs for major U.S. food manufacturers. His expertise spans U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection standards, Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and third-party audit preparation. Through Aegis Foods, he now advises clients on building proactive, recall-resistant systems that prioritize both consumer health and brand integrity.

    In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jay [38:36] about:

    • The history of Jay's career and how his experiences led to the creation of Fearless Eggs
    • The science behind the pasteurization method used by Fearless Eggs and how it differs from traditional shell egg pasteurization, as well as Fearless Eggs' latest innovation, the in-shell poached egg
    • How Fearless Eggs' pasteurization method inactivates Salmonella and other food safety hazards like avian influenza
    • The process of working with FDA to get Fearless Eggs' pasteurization method approved
    • The consumer trust built not only by Fearless Eggs' pasteurization, but also its prioritization of food safety
    • Jay's perspective on the Trump Administration's resource and staffing cuts to FDA and the effect on consumer confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply
    • How Aegis and Fearless Eggs are helping move the entire industry toward safer egg products and food safety innovation
    • Where to find Fearless Eggs products.

    News and Resources

    News

    ByHeart Outbreak Grows: 31 Infants in 15 States Hospitalized for Botulism From Tainted Formula [4:29]
    ByHeart Formula Now Linked to 23 Infant Botulism Cases in 13 States
    Infants Nationwide Hospitalized With Botulism After Consuming ByHeart Formula

    Regan-Udall Report Supports FDA Infant Formula Safety Efforts [16:16]

    Analysis Shows FDA Foreign Facility Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Admin Cuts [23:02]

    First-of-its-Kind Study Shows How Listeria Strains Evolve Into Strong Biofilm Formers [31:44]

    FAO Report Highlights Needs for Responsible AI Adoption in Food Safety Fields [35:01]

    Resources

    Webinar: Dry Sanitation and Cleaning Techniques for Facilities and Equipment

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