Episodes
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are sharing some food safety tips for safe holiday cooking.
There are a lot of holiday parties this time of year, and you don't want to spend most of the time on your knees in the bathroom with your head over the toilet.
So, tune in to learn how to protect yourself, your family, and your friends from foodborne illnesses this holiday season.
In this episode:
💩 [01:29] The need for food safety around the holidays
💩 [02:08] A career created out of vomit and diarrhea
💩 [03:28] The evolution of food safety training
💩 [12:59] The importance of being safe when cooking for others
💩 [16:23] How to not kill your loved ones during the holidays
💩 [17:13] Step 1: Clean and sanitize your kitchen
💩 [20:45] One thing you must not do
💩 [21:35] Step 2: Separate to avoid cross-contamination
💩 [25:27] Step 3: Use a thermometer to cook meat and poultry
💩 [25:57] How to calibrate your thermometer
💩 [27:00] How to thaw your turkey safely
💩 [28:07] Step 4: Storing, refrigerating, and reheating food guidelines
💩 [31:23] Quick reminder for happy holidays
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
To learn more about the woman who tried to kill her ex’s family with Beef Wellington, catch up with Episode 38 | Don’t Cook Salmon in the Dishwasher!
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Most people don't know about food safety. I think people know on the periphery about food safety, but most people think what they do is safe in their kitchen. A lot of that is not safe.” – Matthew Regusci
“ When you're with your extended family, you never know what type of immune system they really have. They could have cancer and not be telling you that they have cancer. So, we always need to be conscientious about their immune systems. So, it's important that we take all the precautions that we would take as if we worked in a restaurant.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Justin Dwyer, an Environmental Health Practitioner for Peoria City/County Health Department, straight from the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.
Justin shares a little bit about the different parts of his job: handling food recalls, doing lead abatement inspections, overseeing farmers' markets and the food that falls under the Illinois Cottage Food Act, making sure well water is safe, inspecting food establishments, and investigating foodborne illness and outbreaks.
Tune in for some great stories, tips, and the realities of the life of a health inspector.
In this episode:
💩 [01:10] Meet Justin Dwyer, who ran the 2024 IEHA Conference
💩 [02:38] The recall for the applesauce with lead
💩 [04:15] Lead abatement inspections for children with lead poisoning
💩 [07:22] Crazy farmers’ market inspection stories
💩 [12:35] Cottage food and food freedom laws and their benefits
💩 [18:35] Well water safety and controversial sun tea
💩 [22:26] The life of an inspector on a weekly basis
💩 [25:19] Handling foodborne illness complaints and outbreaks
💩 [29:02] A frustrating large outbreak investigation
💩 [36:58] 2024 IEHA Conference insights and highlights
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Catch up with the episode about the lead in the applesauce: Episode 51 | Stanley Cups vs. Cinnamon Applesauce: Which Is More Likely To Give You Lead Poisoning?
Also catch up on our episode with Doug Farquhar where we talk about cottage food laws: Episode 87 | The Impacts of American Federalism on US Food Safety with Doug Farquhar.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“ The unfortunate thing is most foodborne illness complaints, we never find a true answer. And that's a simple fact, that's the retail side. Unlike industry, where you're going to be doing all your zone testing, and then you figure out exactly where it is, and you do all the recalls on all the product. Sometimes you don't ever truly know what happened.” – Justin Dwyer
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 Justin, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms -
Episodes manquant?
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are tying a knot in the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak now that the outbreak has been deemed over by the CDC.
They share the final toll of the outbreak, discuss the reality of underreporting, and talk about its impacts.
They also share the very grave and necessary letter from one of Bill Marler’s, the nation's leading foodborne illness attorney, clients who lost her husband to a Boar’s Head Listeria-laced liverwurst sandwich.
Warning: this episode discusses grief and loss and recounts the death of a beloved husband. You might want to keep some tissues handy, this is a hard one.
In this episode:
💩 [01:17] Francine’s dedication to Don’t Eat Poop!
💩 [03:05] Tying a knot in the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak
💩 [04:55] The impact of the outbreak on delis
💩 [06:05] The numbers are far greater than what’s reported
💩 [08:26] Letter from a widow of Boar’s Head Listeria liverwurst
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Read the letter on Food Safety News, Words from a widow of Boar’s Head Listeria liverwurst.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“I never thought my husband would die eating a Liverwurst sandwich. (...) My question to Boar’s Head is, ‘Would you take poisoned meat home to your family and loved ones?’ We all know the answer! (...) I’m devastated, heartbroken, and I feel I will never be the same.” – a Widow of Boar’s Head Listeria Liverwurst
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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Bill Marler, the nation's leading foodborne illness attorney, to discuss some of the major outbreaks of 2024 (so far) and there are many.
According to Matt, it feels like the industry, in terms of a lot of amazing brands, decided to throw their brands into a dumpster, put gasoline on it, and light a fricking match over the last six months.
They talk about the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak, the McDonald's Quarter Pounders E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, and the Grimmway Farms carrots E. coli O121:H19 outbreak.
As well as some you probably haven’t heard of like the Andre’s Banquet Center E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, the Wolverine Packing Co. E. coli O157:H7 outbreak, and the Montana Wagyu Beef E. coli O157:H7 outbreak.
In this episode:
💩 [02:09] Diving deep into one outbreak or talking about them all?
💩 [03:26] The many major outbreaks of 2024
💩 [05:27] Stories of grief from Bill’s clients
💩 [08:36] Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak
💩 [10:59] McDonald's Quarter Pounders E. coli O157:H7 outbreak
💩 [12:35] Food safety in the board of directors
💩 [14:06] McDonald’s poor response to their outbreak
💩 [18:18] Chi-Chi’s 2003 Hepatitis A outbreak
💩 [19:22] How companies respond to outbreaks
💩 [20:44] Iwaspoisoned.com and Bill’s strong ethics
💩 [21:57] The cost of food safety headlines for McDonald’s
💩 [22:57] Grimmway Farms carrots E. coli O121:H19 outbreak
💩 [29:14] The resurgence of undercooked E. coli-laced hamburger outbreaks
💩 [33:55] Where food safety liability lies
💩 [35:18] How to calibrate a thermometer
💩 [36:24] Every outbreak could and should have been prevented
💩 [38:28] The one who holds the industry accountable
💩 [39:51] “Get the F out of the FDA” shirts and Thanksgiving wishes
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Read Dr. Darin Detwiler’s article Matt mentioned Anticipating the inevitable: Predicting the next major food safety failure.Visit Bill Marler’s blog at marlerblog.com.
Watch this short video about one of the victims of the 2011 Listeria outbreak posted by Marler Clark.
Check out the post by Patrick Quade, founder of Iwaspoisoned.com, about The Cost of Food Safety Headlines: 2024 McDonald's Edition.
Catch up with past Bill Marler episodes:
Episode 17 | This Legendary Food Safety Attorney Has Made An Offer You Can't RefuseEpisode 18 | Bill Marler: The Attorney Behind The $15.6 Million Settlement from Jack in the Box Following Their Infamous 1992-1993 e. Coli OutbreakBonus Episode | Breaking News: What's Going on with Boar's Head? The Latest of This Listeria Outbreak with Bill Marler
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“We all are going to die. I get it. I think the thing that drives me the craziest about death in food cases is people live their entire lives, and then all of a sudden, they eat something, and it kills them, or it kills their child, kills their spouse. It's just not the way it's supposed to be.” – Bill Marler
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 Bill, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by FDA Retail Food Specialist Carolyn White at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.
No one is happy to see a health inspector, right? Well, today’s guest will help reframe that point of view as she shows that a health inspector is NOT the enemy but a resource.
She shares some essential FDA resources available for retail food safety both for regulators and operators.
In true Don’t Eat Poop! fashion, they dive deep into the issue of Norovirus including all the projectile vomiting that goes with it. They also share great stories of being in food retail.
In this episode:
💩 [01:35] Carolyn White and her role as FDA Retail Food Specialist
💩 [03:21] The power of Carolyn’s background
💩 [05:11] Working with different rules in different places
💩 [05:56] A day in the life of an FDA Retail Food Specialist
💩 [06:37] The importance of the Annexes in the Food Code
💩 [10:09] Free tools and resources for regulators and operators
💩 [12:36] Norovirus and the difficulty of preventing its spread
💩 [16:09] An FDA Retail Food Specialist’s role in an outbreak situation
💩 [17:19] How local regulatory programs are making a difference
💩 [21:22] Regulators and operators share the same goals
💩 [24:52] No conversation is off-limits for folks in retail food
💩 [26:45] The importance of health inspectors
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Read Francine’s recent article for QA Magazine Sanitation Supplement: The Essentials of Sanitation in Food Facilities.
Check out the FDA Employee Health Policy Tool Carolyn mentioned.
Meet Vomiting Larry and get a visual representation of vomit spray.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“For our industry stakeholders, we talk a lot about food safety management systems and are we putting in a culture of food safety into our establishment, whether you have a 4 million dollar budget or a 40 dollar budget, right? The importance of that food safety culture.” – Carolyn White
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 Carolyn, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Steven Mandernach, Executive Director at the Association of Food and Drug Officials, straight from the Food Safety Consortium 2024.
“I never thought of it that way” is something you’ll catch yourself saying throughout this episode full of gems.
Prepare yourself to better understand the harsh realities of being a food inspector, the consequences of the planned budgetary cuts by the FDA to food inspections, how food e-commerce could be better regulated, and more.
In this episode:
💩 [01:07] AFDO and what it does for state and local regulators
💩 [03:31] Understand the FDA Reorganization Plan and its impacts
💩 [08:06] Rethinking the requirements for food inspectors
💩 [10:40] Just-in-time training and specialization
💩 [14:15] FDA information sharing challenges
💩 [17:15] The realities of food inspector salaries
💩 [18:42] A hopeful solution for the information sharing issues
💩 [20:50] When state departments step in for USDA and FDA
💩 [25:45] The food safety challenges of food e-commerce
💩 [32:01] AFDO and lobbying
💩 [33:26] What to do when going through difficult budget times
💩 [34:55] The contracting system between the states and the FDA
💩 [38:17] The FDA’s sometimes questionable risk analysis
💩 [40:23] The sheer deficit of food inspectors
💩 [43:38] Get the F out of the FDA
💩 [45:39] How the reorg is going so far
💩 [47:31] The FDA’s dilemma: a public health or regulatory organization?
💩 [49:45] What’s good about the Food Safety Consortium 2024
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Learn more about AFDO at afdo.org.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“So, if I were a commissioner right now of the Food and Drug Administration, I hope they realize this is your last chance to fix food. If you don't do it, a single food agency is next. I mean, I really don't think you get another bite at the apple, you've had all of them now.” – Steven Mandernach
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 Steven, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine have just gotten back from the Food Safety Consortium 2024 and they’re sharing everything while it’s still fresh in their minds.
You will hear all about their experience and their biggest takeaways. You will also be in the know about the amazing interviews they have coming your way.
So, don’t miss this event recap!
In this episode:
💩 [01:32] An exciting start to the Food Safety Consortium 2024
💩 [04:19] The best networking event in food safety
💩 [07:29] The difference being in Washington D.C. made
💩 [09:11] The interviews they did and that are coming your way
💩 [11:11] The Women in Food Safety networking event
💩 [13:35] The sense of community around industry colleagues
💩 [15:34] The missed opportunities of our legal system
💩 [16:47] What you can expect in the upcoming episodes
💩 [17:36] A taste of fame
💩 [18:48] Matt’s and Francine’s biggest takeaways from the Consortium
💩 [21:32] Food safety concerns aren’t the same all over the world
💩 [23:47] Concerns about the FDA’s Reorganization Plan
💩 [25:00] The right reason for wearing black gloves
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Stay up to date on all things Food Safety Consortium for next year’s edition here.
Catch up on our interview with Rick Biros, the organizer of the Food Safety Consortium, on last year’s edition, Episode 37 | Integrating Cannabis into The World of Food Safety with Rick Biros.
Learn more about Women in Food Safety.
Catch up on the episode about the FDA’s plans to cut food funding to the states, Episode 69 | A Look at the FDA’s Reorganization Plan and Some Food Safety Mythbusting.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Really, truly the Food Safety Consortium is the best networking event that I have ever been to.” – Matthew Regusci
“Corporate culture has got to change before we can change food safety culture and that's where we need to start. I know that's where the difference is going to be made.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the hot topic of the past few weeks: the deadly McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak.
This is a multistate outbreak with cases in 13 states and one death so far. Tune in to learn more about the facts surrounding the outbreak as well as Matt’s and Francine’s expert opinions on the situation.
They’ll also address the food safety controversy around Donald Trump’s publicity stunt at a McDonald’s on October 20, 2024.
In this episode:
💩 [03:15] The current McDonald’s E. Coli outbreak
💩 [05:10] The source of the outbreak and what we should worry about
💩 [09:09] The incredible shift that happened over a generation
💩 [11:11] The process to confirm the outbreak source
💩 [12:28] When the issue is most likely in the supply chain
💩 [17:09] Food safety facts about Trump’s publicity stunt at McDonald’s
💩 [24:27] Trip down fast food memory lane
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Catch up with our talk with Tia and Jill from Catalyst LLC. in Episode 36 | Food Safety Talk with Tia Glave and Jill Stuber from Catalyst.
Check out Burger King’s vintage commercial Francine mentions, Have It Your Way.
Food Safety News articles on this Outbreak (up until October 28, 2024):
McDonald’s linked to deadly outbreak of E. coli infectionsMcDonald’s says Taylor Farms supplied onions linked to deadly E. coli outbreakMore patients identified in outbreak traced to McDonald’s; Taylor Farms recalls onionsColorado and McDonald’s officials say hamburger was not a source of E. coli outbreakNoteworthy quotes from this episode
“I've been in these Taylor Farms facilities, their sanitization routine is amazing. So, if they had a bad batch of E. Coli laced onions that went through the facility, the chances of that E. Coli being still in that facility, either on the belts, on the machines, or in anything is close to zero. They're not clean, they are sanitized.” – Matthew Regusci
“You can't go into a McDonald's and say, ‘I want a rare burger’. It isn't going to happen. They're not going to give you a rare burger. Policies and procedures that they have in place for cooking those burgers are pretty intense. You might get a burnt one, but the odds of getting a rare one are pretty slim.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Doug Farquhar, the Director of Government Affairs of the National Environmental Health Association, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.
Doug is on a mission to encourage US states to adopt more recent versions of the FDA Food Code (only 4 states have adopted the most recent version so far) but this gets really tricky because of federalism.
Tune in as he sheds some light on just how independent every single state, county, and municipality is from the federal government and what that ultimately means for US food safety.
In this episode:
💩 [01:32] Doug’s career in environmental health
💩 [03:30] Food safety in national brands versus mom-and-pops
💩 [07:53] The impact of not doing food safety
💩 [10:41] State and local issues with guidance from the federal government
💩 [12:45] Issues when it comes to meat
💩 [14:49] Cottage food laws: it all depends on where you are
💩 [17:23] The frustrating predicament American food trucks face
💩 [20:10] Selling food on the Internet and food fraud
💩 [21:19] Peanut butter, Nutella, Vegemite, and world trade
💩 [25:54] Codex Alimentarius and selling overseas
💩 [27:10] The Food Code and why its evolution is necessary
💩 [30:44] When the media doesn’t know what they’re talking about
💩 [34:56] Very outdated CDC food safety data
💩 [37:20] Food Code adoption throughout the US
💩 [40:07] Regulation adoption within different states
💩 [41:45] Cannabis legalization in Alabama
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“It's very interesting because it's very complicated and the way we do it in this country, as I said, is a federalist system. The locals, the states, the federal government, they all have to work together, but really the authority, you can do whatever you want to inside your state, inside your jurisdiction, as long as you don't conflict with what the FDA is doing.” – Doug Farquhar
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 Doug, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are sharing with you the Ask Us Anything! LinkedIn Live they did on Sep 25, 2024, during Food Safety Awareness & Education Month.
This event was unscripted and they answered questions as they came, and there were some amazing ones. They covered the need (or not) for new regulations, the differences between the EU and the US regulations, the future of food safety especially the role of AI in that, and much more.
There was even a special appearance of Francine’s famous tiara, so tune in for a light episode that’s also packed with great information.
In this episode:
💩 [02:46] What are the best ways to engage in social media as a consultant?
💩 [04:36] What new regulations do you see coming from the recent outbreaks?
💩 [10:11] Do you think retailers hold enough responsibility in ensuring consumers don't get a hold of contaminated products?
💩 [15:44] With the difference between the EU food standards and US standards do you ever see the US catching up to their level of regulations?
💩 [17:40] I don’t have the resources to visit all of my hundreds of suppliers so how do I choose which ones to visit?
💩 [20:08] What technologies/innovations do you see making the biggest impact in food safety in the next 3 years?
💩 [24:23] Do you see audits being performed by robots utilizing AI with our known shortage of auditors?
💩 [33:54] Do you see cannabis adopting the audit schemes used in food safety or are they currently being audited by SQF, BRCG & GFSI?
💩 [34:56] Book giveaway and Francine’s Goddess of Food Safety tiara
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episodeCatch up with the LinkedIn Live in video format here.
Learn more about the Book Giveaway and how you can win a copy of Francine’s book “Who Watches the Kitchen” at Elena Montoya’s post.
Check out the Goddess of Food Safety Award and crown Francine received from Saldesia Corporation here.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode“We have to adopt technology based upon its ability to get the job done, and get the job done right, and get the job done safely, versus just adopting technology for technology's sake, which I think sometimes we end up doing.” – Matthew Regusci
“There's a definite shortage of audits. We need to find a way to make sure that the auditors that are doing these audits are actually qualified to do the audits. And we're not just sending people out there to mark off a checklist and be paid to mark off that checklist.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times-bestselling author Deborah Blum, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.
She is the author of “The Poison Squad”, one of Matt’s favorite food safety books.
Together they explore her outrageous findings from the time before regulations that she shares in the book, as well as ways to make things change for the better.
In this episode:
💩 [00:59] Meet Deborah and “The Poison Squad” book
💩 [03:41] Food in the 19th and early 20th century wasn’t as safe as we think
💩 [08:23] Dr. Wiley, the Poison Squad, and low-dose toxicology
💩 [12:57] The embalmed milk scandals
💩 [17:48] Important regulatory movements in the US and their scandals
💩 [23:01] Good regulations with insufficient funds and little enforcement
💩 [29:06] Francine’s experience as a health inspector
💩 [31:20] How to make a difference and the holes in regulations
💩 [32:44] We’ve come a long way but not far enough
💩 [34:34] The challenges of being an informed consumer
💩 [37:04] The power of cookbooks for education
💩 [41:57] Why our lifespan increased over the last century
💩 [44:07] The “good old days”
💩 [46:23] The ongoing battle against food adulteration
💩 [48:30] Food safety in the future
💩 [50:45] Consumers misdirected anger and Boar’s Head outbreak
💩 [55:19] Revolution by inch
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Learn all about Deborah Blum and her books at deborahblum.com.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Back to your question, ‘How do we make things change for the better?’ We have people like you. We get the word out. We let people know that there are these issues. We don't quit talking about them. Eventually, we get change. It's never as fast as I want it to be. I've come to accept that sometimes you get revolution by inch.” – Deborah Blum
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 Deborah, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Patrick Quade, Founder and CEO of Iwaspoisoned.com, at the 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & IEHA Annual Education Conference.
They talk about Iwaspoisoned.com, which is a food safety crowdsourcing website. People can come to the website and report a food safety issue, and that data is then used to detect outbreaks, clusters, and trends in real time.
Tune in to hear about the great impact this technology can have in food safety by allowing companies to prevent instead of react to challenges.
In this episode:
💩 [01:28] Meet Patrick Quade
💩 [03:16] How Iwaspoisoned.com came to be
💩 [07:43] Food poisoning reporting and underreporting
💩 [09:56] How Iwaspoisoned.com evolved into a business
💩 [12:14] Concerns around the name Iwaspoisoned
💩 [14:03] How they were able to foresee Chipotle’s series of foodborne illness outbreaks
💩 [17:40] How they deal with inaccurate reports
💩 [22:10] Making it easy to report
💩 [23:31] Study on Norovirus outbreaks and Iwaspoisoned.com reports
💩 [27:07] Iwaspoisoned.com around the world
💩 [28:16] Handling unusual or criminal reports
💩 [30:22] Brand-specific insights
💩 [32:47] Encouraging consumer, government, and industry participation
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episodeCheck out iwaspoisoned.com.
You will find the post on LinkedIn that helps explain what Patrick’s B2B company, DineSafe, does here.
Catch up with the episode Matt and Francine talk about a woman charged with murder for allegedly poisoning her ex-husband's family with Beef Wellington: Episode 38.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode“We detected the first major Chipotle outbreak in real time, Simi Valley in 2015, and most of their subsequent outbreaks in real time. They lost 10 billion in market cap from top to bottom, from their peak at the start of their string of food poisoning outbreaks to the bottom.” – Patrick Quade
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 Patrick, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are looking into their very own crystal ball and diving into “The Future of Food Safety” on their Keynote at 2024 FDA Retail Food Seminar & Annual Education Conference.
They talk about what golden calves they think are going to die over the next couple decades and why they're going to die with emerging technology and increase in consumers.
As usual, they say what needs to be said regardless of how controversial. So tune in for a very insightful episode.
In this episode:
💩 [01:12] The origins of “Don’t Eat Poop!”
💩 [05:52] Matt’s and Francine’s backgrounds
💩 [08:10] Assessments and data management are going to change
💩 [08:56] Federalism is too complicated for food safety
💩 [12:10] Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak: questions and lessons
💩 [15:15] Future of accountability in food safety
💩 [17:01] The possibility of getting fired for doing your job
💩 [20:38] Emerging technologies and the demand for food safety data
💩 [25:19] Kitchen robots and the challenges of inspecting them
💩 [28:58] Marketing that doesn’t meet the FDA Food Code
💩 [30:13] The need for food safety in politics
💩 [31:40] Being a health inspector, a thankless job
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Catch up with previous episodes mentioned:
Episode 80 | Don’t Drink Poop! Olympians Swimming in the Seine
Episode 53 | Good Job! You’re Fired. Food Safety: The Industry You Can Lose Your Job by Doing It Too Well
Episode 63 | The Future of the Fast Food Industry and Robot Food Safety (the one about Flippy, the kitchen robot)
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“Where we see the future going is not a political issue, but it is a voter issue and consumers are voters. And this is going to be a huge impact. And as congress, as state administrators, and as local councilmen and women start looking at this, they're going to see that it doesn't matter. It is a nonpartisan issue and consumers are going to make a lot of changes over the next decade.” – Matthew Regusci
“We're here, guys. Technology isn't stopping. It's going to continue to go. We're not going to slow it down and they move at a much faster pace than we do. By the time we get there, they're going to be doing something else. And we need to make them care about food safety before they kill somebody. And they're not looking to do that. That's not what they want to do, they just don't understand food safety.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Matt and Francine are taking you through a list of 29 common foods that are approved in the United States, but banned in other countries.
Prepare yourself to be surprised by the bad foods and thoroughly entertained by our hosts and the stories of how they consume these products in their daily lives.
In this episode:
💩 [02:21] Skittles
💩 [03:30] Mountain Dew
💩 [04:48] Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
💩 [08:05] Frosted Flakes, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Rice Krispies
💩 [09:04] Coffee-mate
💩 [09:35] MSG in food
💩 [11:29] Stove Top stuffing
💩 [11:59] Drumstick frozen dairy desserts
💩 [12:36] Wheat Thins
💩 [12:50] Gatorade
💩 [13:17] Pop-Tarts
💩 [13:33] Farmer John Pork Breakfast Sausage Links
💩 [13:45] Lucky Charms
💩 [14:53] Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Dip
💩 [15:32] Ritz Crackers
💩 [16:38] Fresca
💩 [17:23] Pillsbury Biscuits
💩 [19:16] Sunkist Soda
💩 [19:21] Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix
💩 [19:39] Pillsbury Pie Crust
💩 [19:51] Raspberry Jell-O
💩 [20:33] Doritos Light
💩 [20:49] Arby's Sourdough Breakfast Bread, Croissant, and French Toast Sticks
💩 [20:59] Fast food and memories
💩 [23:28] Genetically engineered papaya
💩 [25:32] High fructose corn syrup
💩 [25:54] Farm-raised salmon
💩 [28:24] Chicken that's been chlorinated
💩 [29:43] Meat with ractopamine
💩 [30:29] Bread tainted with potassium bromate
💩 [31:01] Dairy with rBST or rBGH hormones
💩 [33:14] Sanitation in cruise lines
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
If you want a visual of the really cool mugs that Matt and Francine are using, you can check out this post that Francine made to thank Steve for hers.
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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine welcome back an esteemed guest onto the podcast, the food safety expert and advocate Dr. Darin Detwiler.
He’s here to spread the word about the Global Glove Safety Day initiative, taking place on September 18th, during Food Safety Education Month. This day serves as a compelling reminder that food safety is truly #InOurHands, both in a literal and figurative sense.
Of course, they also tackled some big food safety issues that need to be discussed like the need for audits and inspections to have real consequences, how policy is not keeping up with changes in the industry, the slap in the wrist nature of corporate responsibility enforcement, and more.
In this episode:
💩 [01:22] Meet Dr. Darin and learn about his work
💩 [05:34] Food safety in the US vs. in the rest of the world
💩 [08:54] Pros and cons of federalism for food safety
💩 [11:31] Boar’s Head and the need to revamp audits and inspection processes
💩 [21:00] Policy, innovation, and the speed of change in the food industry
💩 [27:11] Corporate responsibility and culture around food safety
💩 [32:38] Startling findings about gloves and why they are problematic
💩 [42:15] Examples of glove misuse
💩 [48:14] Global Glove Safety Day and Dr. Darin’s son’s tragic story
💩 [54:24] The defeat of discovering your gloves aren’t safe
💩 [57:04] A food safety insight from the Netherlands
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episodeLearn more about Global Glove Safety Day here.
Catch up with Dr. Darin Detwiler's previous episodes on the Don't Eat POOP! A Food Safety Podcast:
Episode 13 | Don't Eat Poison! Dr. Darin Detwiler’s Story of Heartbreak, Food Safety Awareness, And AdvocacyEpisode 43 | Unveiling Silent Stories of Food Safety with “Food Safety Icon” Dr. Darin DetwilerWatch the documentary “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food” on Netflix.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode“I'm so enthusiastic about this idea of Global Glove Safety Day, the idea of if food safety is in our hands, then maybe we should get it right when it comes to gloves.” – Dr. Darin Detwiler
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 Dr. Darin, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are turning their attention to the Olympics where some of the athletes were unfortunately drinking poop while competing in the river Seine.
You’ll hear all about the controversial situation, including the “cleaning” of the Seine River and the Olympic athletes that fell ill after swimming in the polluted river waters.
They also take a detour to talk about potable and non-potable water and take a long hard look at the failings of the certification process in the industry.
In this episode:
💩 [01:27] Olympians’ dedication and lifestyle
💩 [04:27] The controversial and questionably effective Seine River cleanup
💩 [08:44] 8 Olympian triathletes got sick and the lack of real answers
💩 [13:55] The problematic non-potable water survey question
💩 [19:38] Issues with qualifications and certifications in the food safety industry
💩 [24:51] Balancing calling out what’s bad and elevating what’s good
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“I think there are a lot of people in the industry that say the sky is falling so frequently, people just tune them out. If all you do is bash the industry for being terrible, for food safety and quality, the industry is not going to listen to you.” – Matthew Regusci
“These people, a lot of them, not all, a lot of them have some sort of certification saying that they're qualified to do what they do. At the very minimum, they should know what potable water is. We need to change our certification process or how we qualify people for these positions because clearly there's a problem.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this bonus episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, Francine and Matt are joined by a very special guest, Bill Marler, a leading expert in food safety. Together, they dive into the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak, shedding light on how things went so wrong and why it’s crucial for food companies to take responsibility when outbreaks like this occur.
You’ll hear about Boar’s Head’s food safety failures, the rise in Listeria cases across the U.S., and why transparency and accountability are the only way forward for companies involved in outbreaks.
Bill shares powerful insights from his decades of experience in food safety law, including how government agencies and corporations can prevent future tragedies.
In this episode:💩 [01:25] Bill Marler shares his background and work in food safety law
💩 [05:20] Breaking down the Boar’s Head Listeria outbreak: What happened? Why is it deadly?
💩 [12:34] Francine’s take as a former inspector: How did this plant stay open?
💩 [18:44] Matt discusses the disconnect between corporate HQ and the facility level
💩 [27:00] The role of transparency in food safety and crisis management
💩 [39:15] Legal implications: What companies need to know in the wake of an outbreak
💩 [50:18] What consumers can do to prioritize food safety in government policyDisclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episodeFood Safety News: What you need to know about the Boar’s Head Listeria Outbreak
Food Safety News: House and Senate should act now on Boar’s Head plant
Noteworthy quotes from this episode“What does a company do if something like this happens? First, understand the science. If they tell you it’s your product, it’s your fault. Own it and take action.” – Bill Marler
“This isn’t just about Boar’s Head. It’s about transparency and how companies handle their mistakes. The whole industry is watching.” – Francine L. Shaw
“I’m never surprised anymore about what happens in the food industry. But it’s shocking to see these kinds of inspection reports get ignored.” – Matthew Regusci
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 Bill Marler, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Carly Bader, Manager of Science at Willow Industries, a cannabis decontamination technology company.
Just like foods and beverages, cannabis can also be contaminated with microbial diseases such as salmonella and E. coli. In this episode, you’ll learn more about that as well as some ways used to make cannabis safe for all consumers.
Also, tune in to hear about Carly’s exciting first experience at the Food Safety Consortium.
In this episode:💩 [00:49] Meet Carly and Willow Industries
💩 [01:36] Cannabis contamination explained
💩 [02:50] Using food safety expertise in the cannabis industry
💩 [03:41] Ozone vs. irradiation in cannabis decontamination
💩 [05:13] The food safety side of the cannabis industry
💩 [06:17] Carly’s experience with the Food Safety Consortium
💩 [09:27] Trust in the cannabis industry
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Register for the Food Safety Consortium 2024 here.Willow Industries website willowindustries.com.
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“We're not the redheaded stepchild, we are just scientists, just like anyone else. And I often have said, you know, if it was Tortillas or bread or meat on my side of the industry… It's just the same. If it's a leafy green or a green bud of weed, I feel like we all have here a collective trust in consumer safety and a trust in science.” – Carly Bader
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 Carly, 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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After the Quaker Oats food recall case study was featured in the last episode, food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Ragucci decided to bring back this important episode that was aired shortly after that recall happened.
In this conversation, Matt and Francine spotlight an important 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:💩 [05:34] Dealing with another salmonella outbreak
💩 [14:40] The basic steps of a food 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 episodeQuaker Oats Recall
Quaker Oats Salmonella Food Recall Case Study | Episode 77
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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are once more talking about the Quaker Oats Salmonella Recall, this time in light of the public FDA letter that got sent to PepsiCo about the case.
They are doing a case study of this food recall, breaking it down, and making it meaningful for the people that are on the ground managing or working on facilities like this.
Food Safety Talk: Make sure to stay tuned for all you need to know about hand washing.
In this episode:
💩 [01:00] The true magnitude of the Quaker Oats Food Recall
💩 [04:18] How did PepsiCo’s food safety program go so wrong?
💩 [07:44] Understanding lab results and taking corrective action
💩 [10:42] How this PepsiCo facility failed and got shut down
💩 [15:24] You’re ever as strong as your weakest link
💩 [17:06] The origin of hand washing for disease prevention
💩 [20:19] What needs to happen for food safety change
💩 [25:28] 5 myths and facts about hand washing
Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.
Resources from this episode
Catch up with the episode where we originally talked about the Quaker Oats Recall: Episode 46: Do You Know How to Get Rid of Salmonella? And How About An Airplane Bathroom Garlic Shrimp to Go?
Noteworthy quotes from this episode
“It just goes to show it doesn't matter how big you are or how small you are, food safety is food safety. Everybody's battling with the same problem, they're battling with the same pathogens.” – Matthew Regusci
“This is what needs to happen. They need to not be afraid to let people talk about the truth on national stages and quit talking about the same things over and over.” – 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!
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Produced by Ideablossoms
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