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SQFI Announces 2024 Excellence Awards Recipients 

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 EAGLE Certification Group’s Brad Rush and Vital Farm’s Robert Clark are the recipients of the 2024 SQF Excellence Awards, presented by the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a division of FMI – The Food Industry Association. The winners were announced this week at the 2024 SQF Unites conference in New Orleans. Rush was recognized with the Excellence in SQF Auditing Award while Clark received the Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership Award.

Excellence in Auditing

The Excellence in SQF Auditing award is presented to a credentialed SQF auditor who demonstrates exceptional performance and dedication to the SQF program through high-quality audits, professional development activities, leadership and mentorship skills, and promotion of food safety culture.

Brad Rush
Brad Rush of EAGLE Certification Group

In honoring Rush, SQF stated that as lead auditor for EAGLE Certification Group, Rush stands out as a gold standard in auditing within the SQF program, embodying a rare blend of specialized knowledge, unwavering dedication, and genuine passion for fostering industry-wide advancement.

“Brad is passionate about cultivating the skills of emerging auditors and imparting knowledge about food safety and the auditing profession,” said Jessica Osborne, chief program officer at EAGLE Certification Group. “His exceptional expertise naturally positions him as a mentor to newcomers in the field.”

Excellence in Practitioner Leadership

The award for Excellence in SQF Practitioner Leadership is given to an SQF practitioner within an SQF-certified site who demonstrates extraordinary leadership and promotion of food safety at their workplace.

Robert Clark
Robert Clark of Vital Farms

Clark is a quality assurance manager who leads a 21-person food safety and quality assurance team at Egg Central Station, Vital Farm’s egg washing and packing facility. He spearheads his team and delivers a variety of food safety, quality assurance, and continuous improvement projects and training throughout the year to ensure robustness in the SQF program.

“Robert is truly a trailblazer for food safety culture, and it is evident to everybody who has the joy of working with and for him,” said Liang Bennett, senior manager, co-manufacturing quality at Vital Farms. “His ability to engage his audience and get them to understand the reasoning behind why we have to follow food safety protocols and rules is fascinating to watch.”

 

 

Ground cinnamon

FDA Highlights Steps Taken to Ensure Safety of Cinnamon Products

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Ground cinnamon

The FDA has announced several additional steps it is taking to address concerns about elevated lead levels. Last week, the agency sent a letter to all cinnamon manufacturers, processors, distributors and facility operators in the U.S., reminding them of the requirement to implement controls to prevent contamination from potential chemical hazards in food, including ground cinnamon products. The agency is also recommending the voluntary recall of certain ground cinnamon products (see below) sold by a number of brands at six different retail chains that were found to contain elevated levels of lead.

The FDA is advising consumers to throw away and not to buy the ground cinnamon products with the lot codes listed below because samples of these products were found to contain elevated levels of lead as it is works with the firms listed to voluntarily recall the products, with the exception of the MTCI cinnamon. The FDA has been unable to reach MTCI to share its findings and request that the company initiate a recall.

Ground Cinnamon Distributor Ground Cinnamon Retailer(s) Ground Cinnamon Lot Code(s)
La Fiesta Food Products
La Miranda, CA		 La Superior SuperMercados 25033
Marcum, Moran Foods, LLC
Saint Ann, MO		 Save A Lot Best By: 10/16/25 10 DB; 04/06/25 0400B1
MTCI
Santa Fe Springs, CA		 SF Supermarket No codes
SWAD, Raja Foods LLC
Skokie, IL		 Patel Brothers KX21223
Best Before: July 2026
Supreme Tradition, Greenbriar International, Inc.
Chesapeake, VA		 Dollar Tree
Family Dollar		 Best By: 09/29/25 09E8; 04/17/25 04E11; 12/19/25 12C2; 04/12/25 04ECB12; 08/24/25 08A_ _; 04/21/25 04E5; and 2025-09-22 09E20
El Chilar
Apopka, FL		 La Joya Morelense, Baltimore, MD F275EX1026; D300EX1024

 

The FDA emphasized that the lead levels found in the ground cinnamon products listed above are significantly lower than lead levels in cinnamon in the recalled apple sauce pouches removed from the market this past fall. The products currently recommended for recall contain lead levels ranging from 2.03 to 3.4 parts per million (ppm) lead. This is approximately 2,000 ppm to nearly 5,000 ppm lower than the levels of lead associated with the cinnamon in recalled apple puree and apple sauce products. Therefore, these ground cinnamon products do not pose the same level of risk to human health as the apple sauce pouches but could be unsafe for prolonged use.

“Today’s actions serve as a signal to industry that more needs to be done to prevent elevated levels of contaminants from entering our food supply,” said Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones. “Food growers, manufacturers, importers, and retailers share a responsibility for ensuring the safety of the foods that reach store shelves. The levels of lead we found in some ground cinnamon products are too high and we must do better to protect those most vulnerable to the negative health outcomes of exposure to elevated levels of lead.”

The FDA reminds manufacturers, processors, distributors, and facility operators to follow the requirements of the rule Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, including the requirement to consider chemical hazards that may be present in foods when conducting hazard analyses required by this rule. While the agency continues to emphasize the importance of the cinnamon industry’s responsibility to take measures to prevent potential chemical hazards in its products, the letter to industry and recent recalls highlight how the FDA will request the removal of unsafe cinnamon products from the market.

As part of its Closer to Zero initiative, the FDA continues to pursue additional authorities from Congress to require manufacturers to test ingredients or final products marketed for consumption by infants and young children for contaminants before products enter the U.S. market. Under current federal law, there is no explicit requirement for manufacturers to conduct such testing. The President’s FY2024 Budget contains legislative proposals to explicitly require industry to conduct this testing, maintain testing results for FDA inspection and provide the FDA remote access to test results.

 

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FDA Issues Final Guidance on New Dietary Ingredient Notification Procedures

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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On March 5, the FDA issued the final guidance “Dietary Supplements: New Dietary Ingredient Notification Procedures and Timeframes: Guidance for Industry.”

Under section 413(a)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 350b(a)(2)), the manufacturer or distributor of a new dietary ingredient (NDI) that has not been present in the food supply as an article used for food, or of a dietary supplement that contains the NDI, must submit a premarket safety notification to FDA at least 75 days before introducing the product into interstate commerce. The new guidance is intended to help manufacturers and distributors of NDIs and dietary supplements prepare and submit new dietary ingredient notifications (NDINs) to the FDA.

The guidance provides information about the NDIN submission and review process in a Q&A format. Topics include:

  • Who needs to submit an NDIN?
  • How should the information be organized and presented?
  • Where should an NDIN be submitted?
  • What happens after an NDIN is submitted?

Download the final guidance here.

Terry Levee, McLane

Terry Levee Joins McLane Company

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Terry Levee, McLane

Terry Levee is the new senior director of food safety and quality assurance at McLane Company. Levee brings more than 35 years of experience in food safety, quality assurance and regulatory affairs to the position. He most recently served as senior director of food safety and regulatory compliance for Giant Eagle. In his new position, Levee will lead McLane’s food safety team and support the company’s newest retail foodservice endeavor, McLane Fresh, as well as its established restaurant distribution business.

“Terry’s appointment reinforces our continued focus on upholding the highest standards in food safety. We look forward to Terry’s leadership carrying forward and further enhancing our food safety practices, ensuring our retail and restaurant partners receive the best-in-class service they have come to expect from McLane,” said Larry Parsons, chief administrative officer, McLane.

Levee is replacing Sam Richardson, who plans to retire after 48 years with the company. Mike Rose and Michelle Viverette have been promoted to director, food safety and senior manager, food safety, respectively.

Image: Terry Levee

Woman holding hamburger

PFAS Used in Grease-Proofing Agents for Food Packaging No Longer Being Sold in the U.S.

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Woman holding hamburger

Food packaging is now safer for consumers thanks to the elimination of one of the key dietary sources of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) exposure. On February 28, the FDA announced that grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold by manufacturers for food contact use in the U.S. market following the completion of the voluntary market phase-out of these substances used on food packaging paper and paperboard. These substances represent the primary source of dietary exposure to PFAS from authorized food contact uses.

In 2020, the FDA obtained commitments from manufacturers to cease sales of food contact products containing certain grease-proofing substances that contain certain types of PFAS. In addition, the FDA has confirmed that other manufacturers have voluntarily stopped sales of other food contact substances (which contain different types of PFAS) intended for use as grease-proofing agents in the U.S.

The grease-proofing substances, used to prevent the leaking of grease and oil and for their water-resistant properties, were applied to fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, pet food bags, as well as other similar types of packaging.

While the original commitment letters received by the FDA from the manufacturers stated that the phase out could take 18 months to exhaust the market supply from the last date of sale, most of the companies exited the market prior to their original phase-out date. In addition, the FDA is working towards a validated analytical method that would allow the agency to monitor the market for these food contact substances in food packaging.

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USDA FSIS Releases 2023 Foodborne Illness Outbreak Report

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) has released a summary of outbreaks investigated during FY 2023.

In 2023, FSIS investigated six outbreaks in coordination with local, state, and federal public health partners. These outbreaks involved more than 100 illnesses and 30 hospitalizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notified FSIS of five (83%) of these outbreaks. FSIS became aware of the sixth outbreak by notification from a state public health agency. Five (83%) outbreaks involved illnesses in more than one state.

Of the six outbreaks investigated by FSIS in FY 2023, three were caused by Salmonella (serotypes Newport, Saintpaul, and Typhimurium) and two by STEC (serogroup O157:H7). The sixth investigation involved a report of botulism that included commercially canned potted meat (containing chicken and pork) as a potential source. FSIS’ investigation of the establishment where the canned potted meat was produced, and laboratory testing of similar cans, did not determine that the canned potted meat was the source of the illness. The illness was later determined to not be associated with a food source.

Beef products, including beef ground and packaged at retail stores, were the food product of interest for the five Salmonella and STEC outbreaks investigated in FY 2023. The 2023 outbreak investigations did not lead to any recalls of FSIS-regulated products or public health alerts (PHAs).

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FDA Issues Guidance on Premarket Engagement for Foods Derived from Genome-Edited Plants

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The FDA has issued a new guidance for industry that describes how firms can voluntarily engage with the FDA before marketing food from genome-edited plants. The guidance reaffirms that the risk-based approach the FDA has taken for foods derived from new plant varieties also applies to foods from genome-edited plants. In addition, the guidance describes two processes through which companies may voluntarily inform the FDA of the steps they have taken to ensure the safety of foods from their genome-edited plant varieties. These include voluntary premarket consultations and voluntary premarket meetings. These processes are designed to help ease the pathway to market for foods from genome-edited plants, while keeping FDA safeguards in place.

The voluntary premarket meeting pathway is recommended for developers to inform the agency of their foods when a voluntary premarket consultation is not warranted based on the food’s risk-based characteristics. The agency expects this voluntary premarket meeting pathway to take less time than a voluntary premarket consultation. The FDA continues to suggest voluntary premarket consultations for foods that have certain risk-based characteristics, which are described in the guidance and include:

  • Modifications to endogenous genes that create significant homology to a known allergen that is relevant to human health or a toxin that is relevant to human or animal health.
  • Modifications that cause a non-negligible increase in levels of potentially harmful components, including toxicants, allergens, anti-nutrients, and other components that can exhibit non-nutritive physiological effects on humans or animals.
  • Modifications that cause a non-negligible change in the nutritional value (level of nutrient and/or bioavailability) of the food.
  • Modifications that result in the food containing, at a nutritionally meaningful level, a nutrient found at negligible levels in food from its traditional counterpart.
  • Modifications that result in nutritionally meaningful reductions to the levels of nutrients.
  • Modifications that result in increases to the levels of nutrients such that a safety concern may be raised.
  • Modifications that introduce nutrients to the food that are limited by regulation in similarly used foods.
  • Modifications intended to change the fatty acid profile of the food.
  • Modifications expected to affect the bioavailability of nutrients in the food.

A key purpose of the new guidance is to clarify how FDA’s policy statement “Statement of Policy: Foods Derived from New Plant Varieties” (NPV policy) applies to foods derived from new plant varieties produced using genome editing. The NPV policy provides scientific and regulatory guidance on foods from new plant varieties and lays out broad, risk-based principles for ensuring the safety of foods from new plant varieties. The guidance explains that the principles outlined in the NPV policy apply to foods from genome-edited plant varieties.

The guidance also reminds developers of new plant varieties of their obligations under section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), which was enacted after the issuance of the NPV policy.

Download the Guidance here.

 

Red Apple

Nano-encapsulated Wax Coatings Protect Produce from Pathogens

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Red Apple

Researchers from Texas A&M have developed a wax coating with nano-encapsulated essential oils for use on produce that provides both immediate and delayed antibacterial effects. Mustafa Akbulut, professor of chemical engineering, worked with horticultural science professor Luis Cisneros-Zevallos to engineer a nano-encapsulated cinnamon-bark essential oil that was then imbibed into a food-grade wax commonly applied on produce surfaces.

They tested the coating on red apples and compared it to traditional wax coatings. Results, published in Current Research in Food Science (vol. 8, 2024), showed that the wax coating with the encapsulated essential oil produced a significant reduction in viable bacterial counts compared to controls coated with paraffin wax after 24 hours of exposure, with reductions of 1.8 ± 0.4 log10 CFU/mL (PBS) and 3.5 ± 0.3 log10 CFU/mL (TSB) for S. aureus, and 1.2 ± 0.2 log10 CFU/mL (PBS) and 1.4 ± 0.4 log10 CFU/mL (TSB) for E. coli.

The nano-encapsulated essential oil made it harder for bacteria to attach and survive on fruits or vegetables. The delayed release of the essential oil increased the half-life of active ingredients and produce compared to its unencapsulated counterparts, according to the study.

The antibacterial effect persisted even after 72-hour immersion in water followed by bacterial exposure. “Furthermore, our novel coatings exhibited significantly reduced bacterial attachment compared to pristine wax-coated substrates. The coatings also showed a great aversion toward A. flavus with the initial zone of inhibition measuring 13.5 ± 0.15 mm and no hyphae and conidiophores growth on the substrates (with coatings) even after 10 days,” the authors wrote.

“This coating was also inhibiting the fungal attachment,” said doctoral student Yashwanth Arcot who ran experiments to support the research. “We have tested this system against Aspergillus, a fungus responsible for the spoilage of food commodities and the onset of lung infections in humans. We were successful in preventing its growth on the hybrid coatings, and these hybrid wax coatings are easily scalable and can be implemented in food processing industries.”

 

James Walter

James Walter Appointed Neogen Vice President of Global Operations

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James Walter

Neogen Corporation has appointed James “Jim” Walter to the position of Vice President, Global Operations. In this role, he will lead and manage Neogen’s global manufacturing and logistics functions.

Walter graduated with honors from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in mathematics and engineering, then served in the Navy as a nuclear engineer. He comes to Neogen after having spent most of his career at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, serving most recently as Executive Director of Manufacturing Excellence. Previously at Mallinckrodt, he worked in various operations disciplines, helping to execute a wide range of initiatives to drive operational improvement and integration activities, and support growth initiatives. Prior to joining Mallinckrodt, Walter worked in the clean energy industry as Senior Vice President of Operations and Engineering at Tinuum and Vice President of Operations at Catalent Pharma Solutions, where he helped to stabilize and grow the company’s oral and specialty delivery operations worldwide.

“We are excited to welcome Jim to Neogen and add his wealth of operational knowledge to our global leadership team,” said John Adent, President and CEO, Neogen. “Jim brings a great deal of operations and supply chain excellence experience to the company, which will be a significant asset for us, particularly as we continue to integrate the former 3M Food Safety Division into our business.”

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Registration Open for the 2024 Food Safety Consortium

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Registration for the 12th Annual Food Safety Consortium, which will take place October 20-22, 2024, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, is now open.

Presented by Food Safety Tech, the Program starts with several pre-conference workshops and training which leads into two full days of high-level panel discussions, educational presentations, and networking opportunities.

Registration options are available for in-person and virtual attendance.

The Consortium will begin with a keynote presentation from James “Jim” Jones, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, followed by a Town Hall with Jones and USDA regulators.

Other agenda highlights include:

Navigating Global Food Systems: Insights and Strategies for Compliance with FDA’s Food Traceability Rule
Panelists: Sara Bratager, Sr. Food Safety and Traceability Scientist at IFT; John Crabill, Director of Food Safety & Quality at Chipotle; Adam Friedlander, Policy Analyst, Coordinated Outbeak Response, FDA; and Julie McGill, VP of Supply Chain Strategy and Insight, Trustwell

Food Allergen Controls and the Need for Advisory Labels
Presenter: Dr. Steven Gendel, Gendel Food Safety

Understanding Corrective Actions, Nonconformities and Root Cause Analysis
Presenter: Heather McLemore, Senior Accreditation Officer, A2LA

The Internal Audit: Going Beyond the Certificate
Presenter: Cameron Prince, Executive VP, Regulatory Affairs, The Acheson Group

Using a Food Safety Culture “GPS” to Determine Where You Are and Where You Need to Go
Panelists: Tia Glave and Jill Stuber, Catalyst; Cameron Prince and Benjamin Miller, The Acheson Group

View the full agenda here.

Event Hours

Sunday, October 20: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (Pre-conference Workshops)

Monday, October 21: 8:00 am – 6:30 pm

Tuesday, October 22: 8:30 am – 3:45 pm

Register now.

For sponsorship and exhibit inquiries, contact RJ Palermo, Director of Sales.