Listeria Control and Regulation Webinar (Recorded)
From The Food Institute and Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC
Featured Speakers:
Moderated by:
In the last several months, both the Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have intensified their inspections
and sampling at establishments that produce ready-to-eat (RTE) foods to
verify that such plants are adequately controlling Listeria monocytogenes
(Lm) in the post-lethality processing environment. This enhanced regulatory
scrutiny has led to a significant increase in enforcement actions and
recalls in the food industry. Indeed, in the last several weeks, FSIS has recommended withdrawal of inspection services at two RTE establishments due to an alleged failure to control Lm. FDA, through the Department of Justice, also filed a complaint to permanently enjoin another RTE food establishment from operating because of numerous Lm positive findings in the establishment. As a result of these actions, it is evident that many RTE food establishments do not have the required programs in place to control Lm or to deal with the pathogen once it is found in their establishments. Furthermore, establishments are not well prepared to respond to enforcement actions or requests for recalls by the food safety agencies. Key pointsaddressed in the two-part webinar include:
About Karlease Kelly
About Janet L. McGinn
About Robert A. Hahn
About Jolyda O. Swaim Jolyda O. Swaim is an associate at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz P.C. Ms. Swaim is a member of the agriculture group, where her practice focuses on USDA-FSIS regulatory matters as related to meat and poultry production. She assists clients with issues of meat and poultry product labeling, HACCP and SSOP as well as quality assurance and sanitation. Ms. Swaim also has experience in the areas of import and export of meat and poultry products. Prior to becoming and attorney, Ms. Swaim had extensive experience in the meat and poultry and food industry. Her last position was with Sara Lee Corporation as Corporate Food Safety Director with oversight of meat and poultry plants in the United States and Mexico. Besides Sara Lee, Ms. Swaim has also worked for companies such as Con Agra, Inc., and Campbell Soup Company. Her work has included high-risk bakeries, various prepared or frozen foods operations as well as vegetable companies. Ms. Swaim has experience in all matters relating to food production gained from direct control of departments such as food safety, sanitation, quality assurance, consumer affairs and operations. Ms. Swaim was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Union City, Pennsylvania and Albuquerque, New Mexico. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania. Ms. Swaim received her Juris Doctor cum laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan in 2004. About Virginia Deibel Virginia Deibel, Ph.D., is the CEO at TRAC Microbiology. Dr. Deibel started
TRAC while she was in graduate school (she does not recommend this!).
In 2002, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a
Ph.D. in food microbiology and a minor in bacteriology. Dr. Deibel has
spent 16 years working in microbiological laboratories. At TRAC, she performs
third party audits, numerous speaking engagements, and specialized consultations.
She is a member of the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board About Barbara J. Masters Barbara Masters, D.V.M., is a Senior Policy Advisor at Olsson Frank Weeda,
P.C. Before joining the firm, Dr. Masters served as Acting Administrator
and then Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) from March 2004 through January
2007. During her tenure as Administrator, she worked to establish a solid
infrastructure of science-based policies and data analysis which have
helped to reduce foodborne illness and product recalls. During her seventeen
year employment with FSIS, Dr. Masters held a variety of positions throughout
the Agency, both in the field and at headquarters. Dr. Masters participated
in the development and implementation of the Sanitation Standard Operating
Procedures and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations
in federally and state inspected establishments as well as many of the
Agency’s microbial testing programs. Dr. Masters graduated from Mississippi
State University with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and served
in a Food Animal Internship at Kansas State University. She has continued
to further her education by taking advanced coursework in biotechnology
at Texas A&M University. Dr. Masters was the 2007 recipient of the Food
Safety Magazine Distinguished Service Award. |
Karlease
Kelly, Ph.D., is the Assistant Administrator for the Food Safety & Inspection
Service Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training. She is responsible
for Agency-wide efforts to develop the skills and scientific knowledge
of its workforce, as well as conducting outreach activities for small
and very small meat, poultry and egg processors to help them enhance their
food safety and food defense systems. Dr. Kelly has fifteen years of government
service in USDA. Her experience includes working as an instructor, a Program
Analyst, Chief of the Program Analysis Branch at the Technical Service
Center, and more recently the Agency's Chief Training Officer. Dr. Kelly
received her M.S. in educational psychology, and Ph.D. in organizational
psychology from Texas A&M University where she conducted research on improving
organizational productivity and teaching effectiveness.
Janet
L. McGinn, D.V.M., , is the Deputy Director with the USDA- Food Safety
& Inspection Service-Office of Outreach, Employee Education and Training-State
Outreach and Technical Assistance Staff. Dr. McGinn started her career
with FSIS as a Veterinary Student Intern and joined FSIS upon graduating
from veterinary school in 2004. As a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian
with the Office of Field Operations, she worked in a variety of slaughter
and processing operations throughout the Denver District. In 2008, Dr.
McGinn came to Washington as a Staff Officer with the Office of Policy
and Program Development where she worked primarily on E. coli O157:H7,
residues, and food safety assessment methodology. In 2009, Dr. McGinn
joined OOEET as the Deputy Director where she provides technical assistance
and outreach to the State Meat and Poultry programs as well as small and
very small plants.
Robert
A. Hahn is a Principal at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz PC. He advises
companies and trade associations on compliance with Food and Drug Administration
law and regulations, with a primary focus on foods. The core of his practice
consists of advising food and dietary supplement companies - including
manufacturers, processors, distributors, and retailers - on labeling and
advertising, formulation, import/export, Bioterrorism Act and food defense,
inspection, recall, and enforcement matters. Mr. Hahn also practices health
care law, with a focus on the Medicare program. He joined the firm in
1998 after serving for several years as Director of Legal Affairs at the
consumer group Public Voice for Food and Health Policy (now merged with
the Consumer Federation of America). Prior to that, he worked in Guangzhou,
China with the U.S. law firm Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois, Bisgaard, Buxbaum
& Choi (now Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP). He is proficient in
Mandarin Chinese. Mr. Hahn graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from
Brown University in 1980. He earned his J.D. from Columbia University
Law School in 1984 and a master's degree in public health from the Harvard
School of Public Health in 1994. Mr. Hahn was admitted to the New York
State Bar in 1985 and the District of Columbia Bar in 2001. He is currently
a member of the New York and District of Columbia Bars.
Brett
T. Schwemer is a principal at Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz P.C.
He was born in Grosse Point, Michigan, and received his B.B.A. in 1989
from the James Madison University and his J.D. from Ohio Northern University
School of Law in 1992, graduating with distinction. He was admitted to
the Maryland Bar in 1992 and the District of Columbia Bar in 1995. He
is currently a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the District
of Columbia Bar. Mr. Schwemer concentrates his practice in rulemaking,
enforcement matters, recalls, and labeling issues before the Food Safety
and Inspection Service, the Packers and Stockyards Administration and
the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. He has spoken extensively on a variety of meat and poultry
inspection issues and is a certified HACCP trainer. Before joining Olsson
Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz P.C. Mr. Schwemer served as a Case Agent
for the FDA's Special Prosecution Staff, formerly known as the Generic
Drug Task Force.