The Future of Food Safety: Matt and Francine's Predictions for 2024 | Episode 45

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Regusci come together to talk about something that hit a little too close to home. 

In Lewiston, ME, a veteran restaurant inspector and the long-time and respected Code Enforcement Director are being ostracized and possibly fired for doing their job and asking that a popular local restaurant close their doors while they remediate a cockroach infestation.

During her journey as a health inspector herself, Francine faced a very similar situation and she shares what that experience was like, including being threatened with a gun and taken in front of the City Council for a grilling.

Tune in to hear this and other real-life stories from Francine’s and Matt’s careers as they navigate illegal and unethical demands from clients (and sometimes society) and stay true to what they believe in. They also hone in on the challenges inspectors and auditors face and talk about some solutions.

In this episode:

💩 [02:27] The town that is voting to end city restaurant inspections 

💩 [04:41] Francine’s very own story of backlash from the public for doing her job

💩 [08:05] The challenges faced by health inspectors

💩 [11:05] The importance of proper documentation and legal responsibility

💩 [13:31] The consequences of bad inspectors and auditors for the industry

💩 [19:10] Navigating illegal and unethical requests from clients

💩 [22:43] The untold hero of Lewiston’s restaurant inspection drama

💩 [24:55] What happens when you step on a double stack of 5-gallon storage buckets

💩 [29:17] What we can do better with food safety culture in fast food restaurants

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Connect with Jonathan Needham.

You can read more about other “too-out-there-to-actually-be-true” real stories from Francine’s remarkable thirty-plus-year career as a foodservice professional in her book ‘Who Watches the Kitchen?’ on Amazon!

Check out Francine’s post about the story and look to the comments for the link with more material on the case from supporting documentation to email communication.

Go to Dr. Darin Detwiler, LP.D.’s post for the video of a guy trying to get something at the top of the shelf of a restaurant cooler by stepping on buckets that he tagged Matt on.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Occasionally, we had a big company that would just be like, ‘No, we pay you for this and you need to be able to change it if we want to.’ No! That's not how this works. That was definitely not in the agreement.” – Matthew Regusci

“Health inspectors need to be able to do their job. Don't hire people for any position anywhere and not let them do their job. And they're there for a good reason and that's to protect the public's health.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are celebrating a very important milestone for the podcast, its 1 Year Anniversary! 

To celebrate they reflected on the podcast’s journey, the many great surprises it brought them, and how it ended up being the opposite of a trash can fire for their careers. Not only that, in true Matt-and-Francine fashion there are inside jokes and super relatable real-life stories.

With their great humor and incredible banter, they looked back on the first year of the podcast by sharing their favorite episodes so far: the ones with their dream guests, the funniest one, the ones that were the most impactful, and of course the ones with the craziest or most disgusting segments. 

As the good strategic dreamers they are, the hosts also looked into the future and shared with us the goals they set for the second year of the podcast. 

Thank you for listening and here’s to another 52 weeks of the Don’t Eat Poop! Podcast.

In this episode:

💩 [02:25] The people we dreamed of interviewing and that became guests

💩 [08:20] The funniest podcast episode so far (one word: Placenta)

💩 [10:45] Which were the most impactful Don’t Eat Poop! episodes

💩 [13:15] What surprised us the most with the podcast

💩 [16:32] Our goals for the 2nd year of Don’t Eat Poop!

💩 [22:30] The craziest and most disgusting things we talked about

💩 [26:32] The cool thing about having a podcast, inside jokes, and the time Francine’s dogs almost did her in

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Go to the newest edition of the Don’t Eat Poop! LinkedIn Newsletter for a compilation of all the episodes Matt and Francine mentioned as they looked back on the previous 51 episodes.

You can also subscribe to the Don’t Eat Poop! LinkedIn Newsletter here so you never miss out on an important Food Safety discussion.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“I figured we were either going to have to create a company or close it down because nobody was listening.  I just didn't know when that was going to be either one of those triggers.” – Matthew Regusci

“I'm very strategic and I'm also a dreamer. If we weren't dreamers, we wouldn't be entrepreneurs. Right?” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the very exciting topic of lead poisoning. With the recent Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak, and the media speculation about Stanley cups containing lead and their safety, this is a very necessary discussion.

They debunk the concerns around the Stanley cups and get to the bottom of what’s behind the lead poisoning linked to the cinnamon applesauce pouches: food fraud.

Tune in to learn about the symptoms of lead poisoning (some are similar to flu and cold symptoms so beware!), the true nature of recalls (you should always be vigilant of what you buy), and how serious outbreaks like this can be avoided.

They also delve into the importance of providing the correct food allergen information on labels and social media’s impact on people’s food safety perceptions.

In this episode:

💩 [02:48] The Stanley Cup craze and the concerns around the cups causing lead poisoning

💩 [11:42] The seriousness of the Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak

💩 [15:15] The symptoms and long-term issues linked to lead poisoning

💩 [19:50] Other recently recalled supposedly healthy snacks 

💩 [22:56] The importance of including food allergen information on labels

💩 [24:34] The duty to properly verify your suppliers and learn about food fraud risks

💩 [29:08] Social media and the skewed public perception of foodborne illnesses

💩 [35:07] Interacting with our audience and the challenges of dealing with trolls

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

The Quaker Recall of certain granola bars and granola cereals because of potential Salmonella contamination, see this post.

Learn more about the Clean Label Project here.

Francine’s LinkedIn post about the broccoli salad without food allergen information.

To learn more about the story of the girl who passed after eating an unmarked allergen cookie with peanuts in it, check out this post.

Here’s the Food Safety News’s The Litigated Dish: Can foodborne illnesses cause death? article.

Our most controversial Don’t Eat Poop! Episode to date: Body Fluids in Kids’ School Lunches! Eww… | Episode 41.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“My job is not to make people believe that they are going to die of foodborne illness if they just 100 percent don't believe it. My job is to get people who actually believe it to do the right thing.” – Matthew Regusci

“It's just so scary when you start to think about the fact that so many people just don't know. We need to do better. As a country we need to do better.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, Jonathan, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Regusci come together to talk about hand washing and why relying solely on alcohol-based hand sanitizers does not cut it, especially in the produce and food industries.

They debunk some misconceptions about using alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the primary hand-cleaning method and warn of its risks. These sanitizers are ineffective against some diseases, most notably the Norovirus.

They explore solutions and alternatives that can be more effective, such as Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl), and emphasize the importance of training and education to guarantee food safety.

Lastly, they dive right into some very unusual TikTok content: a guy who is “eating raw chicken every day until I get a tummy ache,” which sounds more like a foodborne illness-diarrhea diet instead.

In this episode:

💩 [00:58] The incredible experience of interviewing so many amazing people at the Food Safety Consortium

💩 [06:08] PSA: do NOT drink alcohol-based hand sanitizers

💩 [07:35] The misconception about alcohol-based hand sanitizers being enough

💩 [13:09] The importance of training and education in food safety

💩 [15:22] The risks of heavily relying on hand sanitizers for food safety

💩 [16:58] Norovirus: its “fun” symptoms and what actually kills it

💩 [21:17] The potential of hypochlorous acid in food safety

💩 [23:21] Why isn’t HOCl being widely used when it’s safer and so effective?

💩 [29:11] Don’t do this at home! Our reaction to the Raw Chicken Experiment guy

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Check out Cori Muse’s post that Matt and Francine hijacked on LinkedIn here.

Access Neal Wieselman’s article, The Science of Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Norovirus, here.

If you’re curious, you can find Francine’s post to Matt about the guy who is “eating raw chicken every day until I get a tummy ache” here.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“There's so many products I think should be on the market that would help save lives that just aren't for some weird reasons. And I don't understand it.” – Matthew Regusci

“I guess they think because they have sand sanitizer, it's not a problem. It doesn't work like that.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by long-time industry expert and professional Jorge Hernandez. He has an extensive career in food safety with experience on both the regulatory side and the industry side.

Tune in for a great conversation with someone who has a true passion for what he does and discover how you too can actually make a difference.

Jorge imparts his wisdom around food safety, emphasizes the importance of trust and communication in the industry, as well as shares a story from his time as a health inspector about how to achieve long-term results and actually improve food safety.

In this episode:

💩 [01:15] Jorge’s trajectory in the Food Safety industry

💩 [02:30] A story of how Jorge made a difference as a food safety inspector

💩 [09:00] Looking at your suppliers as your partners

💩 [10:44] Connection and effective communication are key drivers of food safety

💩 [12:37] The biggest changes to the industry over Jorge’s career

💩 [14:25] Jorge’s alert and predictions on the future of food safety

💩 [17:18] The need for solutions that align with business needs

💩 [20:20] The Food Safety Consortium and bringing in younger people

💩 [22:38] Trust is everything

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.

Resources from this episode

Register for the Food Safety Consortium 2024 here.

Catch up with our conversation with Tyler on Episode 48: A Fresh Perspective in the Food Safety Industry with Tyler Williams, CEO of ASI Food Safety.

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Everybody's trying to do the right thing. They just need to understand why and how.” – Jorge Hernandez

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Jorge, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Matt and Francine chat with one of the youngest names in the food compliance world, Forbes 30 Under 30, and CEO of ASI Food Safety, Tyler Williams.

This is a short and fun conversation that also goes deep on the foundational topic of trust in the food industry, the importance of engaging with your team, and more.

You’ll get to know the young CEO, what he sees for the future of food safety, and the fresh perspective he brings into the industry.

In this episode:

💩 [00:56] Tyler’s journey in the food safety world 

💩 [02:25] What he brings to the table as one of the youngest in the industry

💩 [04:51] Tyler’s favorite parts of his job in the food compliance world

💩 [06:17] The impacts of breaking consumer loyalty and trust

💩 [08:41] What’s great about the Food Safety Consortium and what could change

Resources from this episode

Register for the Food Safety Consortium 2024 here.

ASI Food Safety Website: asifood.com. 

Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Age is just a number. I tell my team that it's like building a soccer team, right? You have to have experienced people and you have to have those young energetic people on your team. So, I think at ASI, we have a good mix.” – Tyler Williams

We hope you enjoy this episode!
Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Tyler, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine talk to the co-founder of Sage Media, Austin Welch. They discuss their unique approach to learning and training programs in various industries with a special emphasis on food safety. 

Sage Media focuses on creating engrossing narratives and employing cognitive science to design effective training videos that aim at triggering cultural shifts within organizations. The co-founder explains their successful programs, how they personalize them for individual companies, and the longevity and effectiveness of such videos. 

The discussion also touches upon the aspect of trust and delivery within budget in the creative media industry and provides an overview of the Food Safety Consortium.

In this episode:

💩 [01:31] The unique approach of Sage Media to corporate training videos

💩 [02:42] Creating engaging training videos – and why most trainings are ineffective

💩 [05:16] The process of creating impactful videos that inform, impact, and create change.

💩 [11:37] The value and shelf-life of high-quality training material

💩 [13:49] The importance of trust and timeliness in creative media

💩 [14:53] Austin's experience at the Food Safety Consortium

Resources from this episode

Sage Media Website: https://sage.media/

Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“For me as a producer of creative media, it’s getting a product out on budget and on time. That's my biggest thing.” – Austin Welch

We hope you enjoy this episode!
Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Austin, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Ragucci talk about another recent Salmonella outbreak which leads to a discussion on developing standard food safety procedures in homes and the role of consumers in demanding safer food through better food safety regulations.

Towards the end, there is a humorous discussion about a 'chef' who prepares meals in very unconventional settings. The episode concludes with their signature sign-off, 'Don't eat poop!' (especially from airplane bathrooms!).

In this episode:

💩 [01:17] Breaking news: We made it to the top 100 Podcasts!

💩 [05:34] Dealing with another salmonella outbreak

💩 [14:40] The basic steps of a recall

💩 [16:42] Do you know how to get rid of salmonella in poultry?

💩 [17:58] Understanding the risks of raw cookie dough

💩 [20:59] The dangers of raw ingredients: eggs and flour

💩 [26:27] The hotel room cook strikes again (in an airplane bathroom!)

Resources from this episode
Quaker Oats Recall
Creating a Recall-Ready Food Safety Industry | Episode 42
Mile High Bathroom Garlic Shrimp & Mash

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“Our government has created an atmosphere of [...] rolling the dice every time we eat products. They’re literally okay with salmonella being in chicken and eggs. The expectation is that "housewives should know what to do with their chicken.” – Matthew Regusci
“I truly don't think anything will happen until consumers demand a change.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 
_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine discuss their predictions for food safety in 2024, highlighting the possible increase in consumer awareness and potential impact on the industry's policies and practices. 

They talk about the growing importance of digitization and traceability in ensuring food safety. They also shared concerns about recurrent food safety outbreaks such as those associated with spinach, cantaloupes, and central kitchens. 

The challenges posed by e-commerce and non-digitized operations and incidents of food fraud were also examined in this last episode of 2023.

In this episode:

💩 [01:40] Matt & Francine’s plans for Christmas

💩 [05:35] Looking back at what happened in food safety in 2023

💩 [09:37] Predictions for food safety preventative measures and the role of consumers

💩 [14:36] Food traceability, food supply digitalization, and what we expect for 2024

💩 [19:25] The reality of food supply in the digital age

💩 [22:52] Predictions for food outbreaks in 2024

💩 [27:02] The lack of control over e-commerce food

💩 [30:48] Don’t Eat sink macaroni!

Resources from this episode

Sink macaroni post on Linkedin

Matt’s popular sticker post on Linkedin

Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“I think that traceability is key. And as the industry learns to modernize and systematize their records, these recalls will be done a lot faster.” – Matthew Regusci

“When are we going to start focusing on the prevention side of it? We need to have a focus on prevention. And maybe, maybe we can do that in 2024.” – Francine L Shaw

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

_______

Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast, our hosts Matt and Francine welcome Charles (Chuck) Jolley, Director Of Sales Marketing at Food Safety News to talk about the future of food safety publications.

This is a discussion on the role of publications in providing timely and relevant information to the food safety industry and the general public.

The guest, Chuck, talks about his experience at Food Safety News, its growth over the years, and its impact as a daily publication on the industry and consumers.

In this episode:

💩 [03:01] Food Safety News: how it started and where it is now

💩 [06:15] The future of food safety publications 

💩 [10:25] Why we created Don't Eat Poop! And who we created it for

💩 [14:42] Advertising in food safety publications like Food Safety News 

💩 [17:11] What does Chuck think of The Food Safety Consortium?

Resources from this episode

Food Safety News Website: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/ 

Food Safety News Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FoodSafetyNews 

Food Safety News X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/foodsafetynews 

Food Safety News Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/food-safety-news/  

Noteworthy quote from this episode

“Ink on paper is starting to go away. So where will we be in 10, 15 years? It depends on how efficient your computer gets, how quickly you can download stuff, how fast the material can appear on your screen.” – Charles Jolley

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!

We'd love to hear from you!

Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 

Connect with Chuck on Linkedin as well.

Share your thoughts and feedback on the show and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.

Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? on Amazon! 

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Produced by Ideablossoms