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Get back to basics during Food Safety Education Month. During this 4-part webinar series, subject matter experts shared their expertise on foodborne pathogens like Salmonella, Vibrio, Cyclospora, and norovirus. Don't miss this opportunity to dive into the science of foodborne illness.

Recordings of each webinar are available to watch below.

Salmonella: Job Security for Food Microbiologists

During this webinar, Dr. Donald W. Schaffner presented his reflections on 30 years in food safety and risk assessment as reflected through Salmonella. He presented some of his own research, unpublished research, and reflections on current events.

Donald W. Schaffner, PhD

Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist
Rutgers University

Dr. Donald W. Schaffner is an extension specialist in food science and distinguished professor at Rutgers University. His research interests include hand washing, cross-contamination, and quantitative microbial risk assessment. He is a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Academy of Microbiology, and International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). Dr. Schaffner was the president of IAFP from 2013–2014. In his spare time, he cohosts the Food Safety Talk and Risky or Not podcasts. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic he has been interviewed for TV and print media, including The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, on SARS-CoV-2 and the risks of COVID-19.

Seafood Pathogens of Concern in Retail Establishments

During this webinar, attendees learned about different seafood pathogens of concern at retail food establishments.

Webinar Slides | PDF
AFDO Fish Evisceration |

Eugene E. Evans, CFP

Supervising Food Inspector
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Eugene Evans is a supervising food inspector with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets where he has been employed for 19 years. Evans is an International Food Protection Training Institute fellow (Cohort 4) with a published fellowship project (Surface Pathogen Elimination Practices for Ready-to-Eat Fishery Products). He is an active member of Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), Association of Food and Drug Officials of the Southern States, Central Atlantic States Association of Food and Drug Officials (CASA), and International Association of Fish Inspectors. He currently serves as vice president of the CASA New York Chapter. As a long-time member of the AFDO Seafood Committee, Evans was the project leader for the 2019 revision of the Cured Salted and Smoked Fish Establishments Guidance Document and created the AFDO Fish Evisceration Video.

In 2019, Evans volunteered with Land O' Lakes International's Venture 37 Farmer to Farmer Program as a seafood expert in Egypt. He spent 2 weeks in Egypt providing guidance to seafood and dairy processing facilities across the Nile Delta. He has been published numerous times for articles related to food and seafood safety, is a Certified Fisheries Professional with the American Fisheries Society, an AFDO/SHA Seafood HACCP Trainer, a seafood processing subject matter expert, holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-Ton Master Captain's license, and is an avid fisherman.

Cyclospora cayetanensis: Implications in Production and Processing of Fresh Produce

Cyclospora has been implemented in several recent outbreaks. This webinar discussed Cyclospora and its implications in the production and processing of fresh produce.

Ynes Ortega, MPH, PhD

Associate Professor
Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia

Dr. Ynes Ortega is an associate professor at the Center for Food Safety with the University of Georgia. She received her undergraduate degree at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Master of Public Health in international health from Johns Hopkins University, and doctorate in microbiology and immunology at the University of Arizona.

Her research is focused on food and waterborne pathogens. She is currently studying the dynamics of disease transmission that take place in the production and processing of food products. Dr. Ortega's research evaluates detection assays used in food production that are sensitive and specific for pathogenic parasites in both biological and environmental samples in domestic and international settings. She has also expanded her efforts to the development and testing of disinfectants for use in fresh produce and to the study of risk factors associated with parasitic foodborne transmission.

Dr. Ortega has been a science advisor for 9 years for FDA-SRL, was part of the FAO/WHO expert team that addressed prioritization of foodborne parasites for risk management, has authored many peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters, and is editor of three books on foodborne parasites. She is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal for Food Protection, Food and Waterborne Parasitology Journal, and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. She is also a review editor for Frontiers in Microbiology: Infectious Diseases and a member of the Journal for Food Protection Management Committee.

Norovirus 101: Overview and Updates for the "Perfect Pathogen"

Human norovirus continues to be the leading cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. and the majority of known outbreaks occur in retail and food service establishments. In this webinar, attendees gained a better understanding of norovirus, including a basic overview of its structure and characteristics, considerations for control in food handling settings, and an update on some of the latest research and scientific advancements.

Dr. Manuel's Slides Part 1 | PDF

Dr. Moore's Slides Part 2 | PDF

Chip Manuel, PhD

Food Safety Science Advisor
GOJO Industries, Inc.

Dr. Chip Manuel is a food safety science advisor for GOJO Industries, Inc. In this role, he conducts food safety-related research with the intent to improve public health, serves as a food safety microbiology subject matter expert for internal and external stakeholders, and represents GOJO Industries at conferences as a thought leader in food safety. Prior to joining GOJO Industries, Dr. Manuel served as a food microbiologist with Diversey, Inc.

Dr. Manuel's academic background includes a bachelor of science in food science from Clemson University, a master of science in animal science from Colorado State University, and doctoral degree in food science from North Carolina State University. He is the author of several peer-reviewed manuscripts, primarily focusing on the control of two important foodborne pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes and norovirus. Dr. Manuel has received numerous awards recognizing his achievements in food safety, including awards from the International Association for Food Protection, AOAC International, and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Matthew Moore, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Dr. Matthew Moore is an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He received his bachelor of science in food science from Cornell University and his doctoral degree under the supervision of Dr. Lee-Ann Jaykus at North Carolina State University. After some time as a postdoctoral research scholar in the Jaykus Lab, Dr. Moore became an ORISE postdoctoral fellow in the National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the supervision of Dr. Jason Folster and Dr. Jean Whichard. He has been lucky to intern at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Eastern Regional Research Center under the supervision of Dr. Xuetong Fan, as well as at bioMerieux.

Dr. Moore is currently teaching a food microbiology undergraduate writing class and a biosensors and pathogen detection journal club. His research focuses on applied and environmental virology. He has published 27 works in peer-reviewed journals, was on the editorial board of a textbook (Emerging and Re-Emerging Viral Pathogens, 2019, Elsevier), and has delivered numerous invited talks at national and international venues such as Sweden, India, South Korea, China, and Thailand.

Rising Above the Challenges of COVID-19: A Food Safety Industry Roundtable

National Food Safety Education Month Industry Roundtable Cosponsored by the NEHA Business and Industry Affiliate

Sit in on a digital roundtable of food safety professionals who discussed the current challenges faced by food safety programs and highlight their successes. Roundtable presenters also answered questions about keeping a focus on food safety during this unprecedented time.

Caroline Friel

QA Regulatory Compliance Manager
Wawa, Inc.

Caroline Friel graduated from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, with a bachelor of science in environmental health and completed a master's degree in public health from Temple University in Philadelphia. She started her career working as an environmental health officer in the UK. A visit to family in the Philadelphia area in 1990 resulted in a position as a public health officer with the City of Philadelphia Health Department. From there she moved on to a corporate sanitarian position with Acme Markets, then QA manager in a production facility. A further role in food safety consultancy led to a position with Wawa for the past 19 years. Friel is part of the Quality Assurance Risk and Safety team at Wawa and is responsible for all aspects of food safety compliance. She also oversees Wawa's internal food safety audit program.

Sadri Jazayeri

Quality Assurance, Food Safety Manager
Taco Bell Corp

Sadri Jazayeri has worked for Taco Bell Corp for over 7 years leading the restaurant level food safety team. In his time at Taco Bell, he has helped drive initiatives involving 3rd party restaurant audits, cleaning programs, pest program, and overall food safety training. Prior to Taco Bell, he worked in the biotech sector doing research in developing cancer diagnostic testing and then moving to experimental designs for vaccine validation as part of the clinical trials program.

James O'Neal

Senior Manager, Brand Protection, Quality and Regulatory Compliance
Denny's

James O'Neal currently serves as brand protection manager for Denny's assigned primarily to the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Upper Midwest focusing on food safety improvement, training, and regulatory issues.

Prior to joining the Denny's team, O'Neal began his career in 2002 at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control where he started in the General Sanitation and Onsite Wastewater program before transitioning to the Food Protection program. He then moved to the private sector as part of the grocery industry in 2005 with Diversey, Inc, in support of the Food Protection and Workplace Safety program at Bi-Lo supermarkets serving stores in Georgia and South Carolina. In 2012, he joined Food Lion supermarkets where he spent the next 5 years as a food safety specialist supporting stores and distribution centers in six southeastern states.

O'Neal received his bachelor's degree in microbiology from Clemson University in 2002. He holds both REHS/RS and CP-FS credentials from NEHA.