Elaine Borghi, Ph.D. is Unit Head for Monitoring and Surveillance, Nutrition, and Food Safety at the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Borghi contributes to the coordination of efforts for nutrition and food safety data management, the generation of regional and global-level estimates and data-sharing tools, and the facilitation of inter-department data and methods harmonization. She holds a Ph.D. from the Statistics Department of the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in Statistics from the State University of Campinas in Brazil. Before her time at WHO, Dr. Borghi was a lecturer at the State University of Campinas for 12 years. In addition to teaching, she provided statistical support to research in agriculture planning for rural sustainable development.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Borghi [24:38] about:

• How the methodology behind the new WHO global foodborne disease burden estimates has evolved since the original 2015 estimates
• New insights related to national and regional differences and trends over time
• How WHO compiles and validates the data on which the estimates are based, and the role that international partners and surveillance systems play in this process
• Translating the data into actionable food safety interventions, as promoted by the theme of WFSD 2026, "From Burden to Solutions—Safe Food Everywhere"
• How different stakeholder groups can utilize the estimates to prioritize risks, allocate resources, and strengthen food safety systems
• What regional differences in the burden of foodborne illness reveal about the need for targeted interventions
• The importance of also estimating and communicating the economic burden of foodborne diseases
• How WHO envisions the updated estimates shaping global food safety policy, surveillance, and collaboration.

News and Resources

News

FDA Modernizes Oversight of Pesticides in Food [3:48]

Bipartisan Bill Would Give FDA Authority to Destroy Contaminated Food Imports [7:00]

'Natural' Food Dyes May Have Health Risks Too, Studies Show [13:38]

Study Suggests Sweetener May Contribute to Liver Disease [20:51]

Resources

World Food Safety Day 2026 to Coincide with Release of Updated WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Estimates

Global Foodborne Disease Burden Comparable to Malaria, Per Updated WHO Estimates

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Alissa Welsher, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant at Elanco Poultry Food Safety. Dr. Welsher received her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, a master's degree in poultry science, and a Ph.D. in cell and molecular biology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is in meat and poultry food safety, and she specializes in integrated pest management (IPM).

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Welsher [1:39] about:

• Why pests become more problematic for poultry operations in the spring and summer months and which pets are of particular concern
• How pests in preharvest poultry operations are related to food safety threats like Salmonella that persist throughout production
• The importance and core pillars of a robust IPM program
• How chemical solutions like insecticides can provide an additional layer of defense alongside strong IPM
• Best practices for insecticide application to maximize effectiveness and mitigate resistance
• Different insecticide products and how they act on insects in all life stages
• The benefits of working with an expert IPM and insecticide partner like Elanco to ensure effective and proper insect control, especially moving into spring and summer.

Resources

Elanco Poultry Food Safety Solutions

Sponsored by:

Elanco

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To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Roberta Wagner, M.Sc., Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA); Steven Mandernach, J.D., Executive Director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) and Sandra Eskin, J.D., CEO of STOP Foodborne Illness; Jacob Nelson, Asset Protection Sales Manager at the Sherwin-Williams Company and Feraas Aiameh, Food and Beverage Marketing Manager at the Sherwin-Williams Company; Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Microbiological Food Safety, Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D., Director of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, and Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Founder and Principal of Cultivate SA; and Cindy Jiang, Senior Director, Global Food Safety Risk Management, Global Supply Chain at McDonald's (retired).

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:

• Ms. Wagner about food ingredient safety and labeling trends, policy developments, and risk communication [2:48]
• Mr. Mandernach and Ms. Eskin about progress and gaps in the implementation of FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the 15 years since it was passed [26:19]
• Mr. Nelson and Mr. Aiameh about a facility lifecycle approach to food safety [47:37]
• Drs. Choiniere, Coffman, and Jespersen about perspectives, challenges, and opportunities related food safety culture across sectors [1:16:42]
• Ms. Jiang about practical applications for artificial intelligence (AI) in food safety. [1:44:37]

Sponsored by: Sherwin Williams

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

To get a taste of the discussions that were happening at the 2026 Food Safety Summit, we spoke face-to-face with Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A., Vice President and Head of Health and Safety for EG America and Laurie Farmer, Director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Office of Retail Food Protection; David Clifford, M.B.A., Director of Food Safety at Nestlé USA and Sara Mortimore, M.Sc., Founder of Sara Mortimore LLC and formerly Vice President for Food Safety at Walmart; Frank Curto, Ph.D., Vice President of Operations at Ecowize North America; and Drew McDonald, Senior Vice President of Quality, Food Safety, and Regulatory Affairs for Taylor Fresh Foods and Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of FDA's Office of Microbiological Food Safety.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with:

• Mr. Zenlea and Ms. Farmer about issues related to retail/foodservice food safety, including the intersection of sanitation and culture, FDA's Comprehensive Employee Health Toolkit, and utilizing employee health policies to reduce norovirus risk [3:06]
• Mr. Clifford and Ms. Mortimore about the process and benefits of digitalizing Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) programs [21:46]
• Dr. Curto about building an "audit-ready everyday" food safety culture [42:31]
• Mr. McDonald and Dr. Choiniere about data sharing within organizations and across sectors. [1:00:04]

Sponsored by: Ecowize

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Jenny Du, Ph.D. is Co-Founder of Apeel Sciences, a post-harvest intelligence and solutions company helping suppliers and retailers deliver fresh, healthier, and simply better produce at scale—using plant-based materials science to close the gap between what consumers expect from fresh produce and what the supply chain is able to deliver. Jenny earned her bachelor's degree in engineering chemistry and her Ph.D. in chemistry from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, where she was awarded an Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship. She then joined the University of California, Santa Barbara as a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, where she met co-founders James Rogers and Lou Perez. In 2013, the three founded Apeel in a garage in Goleta, California. Today, Apeel has earned regulatory clearances and operates in several markets worldwide, including in the U.S. and in Europe. Jenny was named to Inc.'s 2021 Top Female Founders 100 list and named one of TED's Top 10 most-watched speakers of the year following her 2025 talk, "The Science of Making Fruits and Veggies Last Longer."

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Jenny [1:51] about:

• Her journey from being a postdoctoral chemistry researcher to co-founding Apeel Sciences
• The science behind Apeel's clean, edible produce coating and how it differs from traditional products applied to produce post-harvest
• Apeel's evaluation and approvals by FDA, EFSA, and regulators in more than 40 countries
• How Apeel disrupts the existing $11 billion dollar post-harvest industry and what happens to produce between the field and retail
• The implications of Apeel on food safety standards and protocols for post-harvest treatment and microbial control
• Apeel's response to industry resistance and disinformation
• The broader consumer movement demanding transparency about food production and ingredients, and where Apeel fits into this conversation.

Resources

Follow Apeel Sciences on Substack!

Sponsored by:

Apeel Sciences

We Want to Hear from You!

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

Sandro Tarchini serves as Global Head of Business Development at Cardano Foundation. He has more than a decade of experience in digital financial services, fintech innovation, and strategic partnerships across blockchain and traditional finance sectors. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Saxo Bank, and most recently, Wyden. Sandro's latest work at the Foundation includes collaboration with Grant Thornton Switzerland to execute the first financial audit attestation on a blockchain.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Sandro [38:28] about:

• What blockchain is, and how it can be applied to the food supply chain to improve traceability and transparency
• How blockchain's "immutable transparency" could help solve problems like food fraud and increase trust in food systems
• Hurdles to industry adoption of blockchain technology for traceability
• The Cardano Foundation's work with the Georgian National Wine Agency to establish the Georgian Wine Traceability Program, which uses blockchain to authenticate wine from vineyard to retail
• Educational resources offered by the Cardano Foundation to help industry understand and adopt blockchain solutions
• Trends driving blockchain momentum, such as regulatory changes, and near-term challenges to blockchain implementation
• Lessons and best practices for setting up the right ecosystem of partners and resources in Switzerland, where the Cardano Foundation is based.

Before we speak to Sandro, listen to Adrienne's interview with Patrick Schneider [22:17], Vice President of Operations and Engineering at CDG Environmental LLC, about the importance of chlorine dioxide for comprehensive sanitation programs in food manufacturing facilities. Patrick also discusses what sets CDG's chlorine dioxide solutions apart from others on the market, as well as CDG's presence at the upcoming Food Safety Summit.

News and Resources

News

FDA FY 2027 Budget Request Includes $57 Million for 'MAHA' [5:31]

FDA Launches BRIDGE Project to Modernize Food Facility Inspections [8:23]

FDA Finds Adulteration in 4 Percent of Honey Samples [13:19]

Global Survey Highlights Gaps and Opportunities in Food Safety Training [15:06]

Study Evaluates Pathogen Reductions on Microgreens Treated with UV-C [19:41]

USDA Creates Office of Seafood [21:00]

Resources

Cardano Foundation

Food Safety Summit Live Streaming

Register for the Food Safety Summit, taking place May 11–14 in Rosemont, Illinois!

Sponsored by:

CDG Environmental

Visit CDG–the Chlorine Dioxide Company at Booth #446 at the 2026 Food Safety Summit!

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