What’s your food safety culture? No matter the size of your operation, food safety programs and practices should be weaved into your company’s DNA.

But don’t worry! To help answer your questions and craft an action plan, I talk with two food safety experts. First up, Bonnie Biegel, Director QA, Americas, for AIB International helps me dive into issue of allergens.

Did you know undeclared allergens are the number one reason for recalls in the U.S.?

Bonnie shares best practices for allergen control, what questions to ask your suppliers, tests to check for contamination, and how FSMA is impacting the industry. We also touch on how storage and line scheduling can help make things safer and more efficient.

Bonnie can be reached at info@aibonline.org.

My next guest is Cathy Davies, a consultant and former professor of food science for 20 years. She now works with small businesses and individuals—often minorities or in low-income areas—to provide training to work in the food industry and prepare for FSMA.

The biggest hurdle she notices when it comes to food safety? Knowledge of what needs to happen and to get there. She shares how she helps work with people to create food safety plans, analyze their business and why even small operations need to take FSMA seriously.

Cathy can be reached at cgadavies@gmail.com