In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the future again, this time they're tackling lab-grown meat — that is if one can even call it meat if it’s grown in a dish. This is a huge new scientific development with a lot of money backing it as a potential for the future, so of course it deserves its own episode. Tune in to hear all about lab-grown meat, facts, curiosities, and its political repercussions,  as well as its pros and cons in terms of food...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking conferences. Francine recently attended the Food Safety Summit and the National Restaurant Association Show and she’s taking this opportunity to update Matt and their audience on what went down. Prepare yourself for 2 very different events, some important discussions, and of course, some great anecdotes that will remind you of the importance of food safety, especially in big events like these. In this episode: 💩...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Sara Jane Bellocchi, a Functional Consultant at TraceGains. They talk about how much of a game-changer a tool like TraceGains can be, especially when it comes to supply chain management. You’ll learn that there is a better way to do things that doesn't involve Excel, manual data, or having to access 18 different platforms for each of your suppliers just so you can become compliant. Tune in for a short and sweet...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by David Hatch from Neogen, one of the world's largest suppliers of food safety testing platforms. Get ready to learn all about food safety testing, such as what type of technology is available when it comes to testing (get results within seconds) and how the tests work in practice to keep food safe. Unfortunately, you’ll also learn about the sad truth about most of the food safety industry being almost 2 decades...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the future of the fast food industry, more specifically the rise of automation and robotics in fast food kitchens. You’ll get to meet Flippy, a kitchen robot that “mans” the fry station at a cutting-edge fast food in Los Angeles, California. Robots like this are here to stay so you’ll also get to hear all about what they mean for food safety in the restaurant setting. Lastly, you’ll hear about the world’s most...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the very concerning fact that the FDA is considering cutting funding for state food inspection programs, which is how a big part of the country’s inspections happen. As usual, food safety is not being prioritized by the government, in fact, it’s being put last. Tune in as Matt and Francine try to understand why this budget cut involved inspections and audits and as they contemplate the possible (and scary)...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about lead one more time, but this time it’s in Lunchables, which are part of school cafeterias and households across America. Tune in to better understand the situation, including what it means to have allowable levels of heavy metals in food (yes, that’s a thing) and what it means in the Lunchables case. They also dive into mold and what to do when you find a moldy surprise in your food. Tip: don’t eat it! In...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Matt and Francine are talking about food safety culture falling apart and when and where the next major food safety outbreak will be. Because it will happen, there’s no doubt about it. They address the troubling fact that just because you think you’re company has a good food safety culture that doesn’t mean that’s true. They also point out how important it is to explain the why behind things, to be on the floor checking that...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by RJ Palermo, the Sales Director of Food Safety Tech, which hosts the Food Safety Consortium. So, you’ll get some insights into the Food Safety Consortium, like why this last edition was held in New Jersey and why it’s such a small event when compared to some others out there. We also talk about the importance of content, how it drives the world now, and the impacts AI will have on the industry. In this episode: 💩...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are diving back into food allergies. In episode 55, they interviewed Betsy Craig, the CEO and Founder of MenuTrinfo, who is a leader in the food allergen space. However, this is an important topic that deserves to be revisited. Today, our food safety veterans are sharing some important data about food allergies, commenting on two tragic food allergy-related deaths reported by the media, warning about hidden allergens that we may...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Matt and Francine are joined by the “Glove Guy”, Steve Ardagh, the CEO and Founder of Eagle Protect. He is really passionate about food safety and his mission is to save the world one glove at a time. Steve challenges the assumptions we have about gloves and helps shine a light on the food safety gap that comes from the use in the food industry of disposable gloves that are neither clean nor intact. Get ready for some...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about single-use gloves in preparation for next week’s interview episode with Steve Ardagh, the “Glove Guy”. They expose some truly shocking truths about single-use gloves that most people can’t even fathom. I mean, who would ever think that most of the time these gloves are neither clean nor sanitary? They also talk about the instances where gloves are misused and how they provide a false sense of security that...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Betsy Craig, the CEO and Founder of MenuTrinfo, the leaders in the food allergen space for food service who have been saving people’s lives since 2010. Be prepared for some emotional and impactful stories that will hit home as they talk about food allergy success stories and tragedies. You will learn about some changes in the legislation and in the food allergen space both of which Betsy has been a driving force...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are righting a wrong. Inside jokes are a lot funnier when the person understands the inside joke. So it’s high time they let you in on one of the Don’t Eat Poop! Podcast’s longest-running jokes: the salmon in the dishwasher. Due to some technical issues, the original episode was never aired. Not knowing this didn’t get fixed, Matt and Francine kept mentioning it thinking their audience was in on the joke. Well, don’t worry! The...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Regusci come together to talk about something that hit a little too close to home.  In Lewiston, ME, a veteran restaurant inspector and the long-time and respected Code Enforcement Director are being ostracized and possibly fired for doing their job and asking that a popular local restaurant close their doors while they remediate a cockroach infestation. During her journey as a health inspector...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are celebrating a very important milestone for the podcast, its 1 Year Anniversary!  To celebrate they reflected on the podcast’s journey, the many great surprises it brought them, and how it ended up being the opposite of a trash can fire for their careers. Not only that, in true Matt-and-Francine fashion there are inside jokes and super relatable real-life stories. With their great humor and incredible banter, they looked...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about the very exciting topic of lead poisoning. With the recent Cinnamon Applesauce Pouches Lead and Chromium Poisoning Outbreak, and the media speculation about Stanley cups containing lead and their safety, this is a very necessary discussion. They debunk the concerns around the Stanley cups and get to the bottom of what’s behind the lead poisoning linked to the cinnamon applesauce pouches: food fraud. Tune in to...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Regusci come together to talk about hand washing and why relying solely on alcohol-based hand sanitizers does not cut it, especially in the produce and food industries. They debunk some misconceptions about using alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the primary hand-cleaning method and warn of its risks. These sanitizers are ineffective against some diseases, most notably the Norovirus. They explore...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by long-time industry expert and professional Jorge Hernandez. He has an extensive career in food safety with experience on both the regulatory side and the industry side. Tune in for a great conversation with someone who has a true passion for what he does and discover how you too can actually make a difference. Jorge imparts his wisdom around food safety, emphasizes the importance of trust and communication in the...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Matt and Francine chat with one of the youngest names in the food compliance world, Forbes 30 Under 30, and CEO of ASI Food Safety, Tyler Williams. This is a short and fun conversation that also goes deep on the foundational topic of trust in the food industry, the importance of engaging with your team, and more. You’ll get to know the young CEO, what he sees for the future of food safety, and the fresh perspective he brings...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine talk to the co-founder of Sage Media, Austin Welch. They discuss their unique approach to learning and training programs in various industries with a special emphasis on food safety.  Sage Media focuses on creating engrossing narratives and employing cognitive science to design effective training videos that aim at triggering cultural shifts within organizations. The co-founder explains their successful programs, how they...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, food safety industry veterans Francine L. Shaw and Matt Ragucci talk about another recent Salmonella outbreak which leads to a 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...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine discuss their predictions for food safety in 2024, highlighting the possible increase in consumer awareness and potential impact on the industry's policies and practices.  They talk about the growing importance of digitization and traceability in ensuring food safety. They also shared concerns about recurrent food safety outbreaks such as those associated with spinach, cantaloupes, and central kitchens.  The challenges posed by...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast, our hosts Matt and Francine welcome Charles (Chuck) Jolley, Director Of Sales Marketing at Food Safety News to talk about the future of food safety publications. This is a discussion on the role of publications in providing timely and relevant information to the food safety industry and the general public. The guest, Chuck, talks about his experience at Food Safety News, its growth over the years, and its impact as a daily publication...

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dive into the often untold stories of food safety with their guest, Dr. Darin Detwiler. Dr. Detwiler shares his personal journey and the impact of seeing his family's story portrayed on screen on the Netflix documentary, “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food.” They discuss the challenges in the last mile of the food supply chain, food safety training, and the power of external auditors in ensuring compliance. From moldy...