Meet the Food Safety Leadership Team
Meet FoodHandler’s Food Safety Leadership Team:
Jeannie Sneed, PhD, RD
Dr. Sneed has been an educator and researcher in foodservice operations and food safety for over 30 years. She retired as a professor and administrator from Kansas State University where she also served as a research professor for the Center of Excellence for Food Safety Research in Child Nutrition Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. NSF International awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award for Food Safety Education and Research in 2007. She holds a PhD in foodservice management with a minor in organizational behavior from The Ohio State University.
Catherine Strohbehn, PhD, RD, CP-FS
Dr. Strohbehn has been an educator and researcher in the areas of foodservice management and food safety since 1986. She is certified by the National Environmental Health Association as a professional in food safety. She is professor emeritus (August 2018) and extension specialist at Iowa State University where she also oversees the Food Safety Project website. She has developed many extension programs and materials in areas such as general food safety, buying local produce, and school nutrition operations. In 2010, she was recognized by NSF International with the Educator Award in 2010. She holds a PhD from Iowa State University.
Both Dr. Sneed and Dr. Strohbehn are registered dietitians with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and are registered ServSafe® instructors with the National Restaurant Association. They have received nearly $10 million in Federal, state, and private sources for research and education projects, with the majority focused on improving food safety in retail settings. They worked together at Iowa State University on several research and education projects focusing on food safety in schools, assisted living facilities, restaurants, and child care.
Contact them with any questions or comments at foodsafety@foodhandler.com
During National Food Safety Education Month is it time for Your Food Safety Refresher?
You see them in every restaurant and commercial foodservice operation across the United States. Framed and proudly displayed, often by the kitchen, the cashier, the kitchen entrance, or the service counter - just as they should be. To what am I referring? The food safety certification certificates, of course!
Welcome to National Food Safety Education Month!
In September of each year, we not only have the opportunity to celebrate Labor Day, but we also welcome National Food Safety Education Month! It is this time of the year when it is important to remember that Foodborne illnesses are still a major concern in the United States, although I am guessing many Americans don’t think about the safety of the food they eat as they go throughout their daily lives. The statistics show one in every six Americans will suffer from a foodborne illness each year, for a total of about 48 million cases each year.
Protecting Fresh Produce Post-Harvest, Integral to Safe Food
During the height of the summer, at least in the Midwest, farmers markets are in full swing and fresh produce is plentiful. Every backyard gardener is reaping the benefits of their work, with bountiful harvests of tomatoes and cucumbers. Everyone seems to have a neighbor who is trying to pawn off his or her over-production of cucumbers or summer squash during this time of year. When picking up that produce at the farmer’s market or from your neighbor down the street, have you ever given any thought to the microbial safety of it? Honestly, even in my position, it certainly is NOT the first thing that comes to my mind. But, earlier this month, I came across a news story out of Wisconsin discussing a Salmonella outbreak associated with shelled peas sold at a local farmers market. Who would have thought shelled peas would be impacted? The story noted, and it served as a great reminder, that most outbreaks associated with Salmonella in produce are due to mistakes made in handling or transportation of produce after harvesting.
Properly Cleaning and Sanitizing: The Right Chemical Mix to Maintain Ultimate Effectiveness
A few weeks ago, my family and I had the pleasure of setting sail on a cruise vacation. It is truly one of the only ways that I find that I am able to unplug from work and relax for a small spell. However, as I walked around the ship in our post-COVID world, I couldn’t help but admire all the extra cleaning steps the staff were undertaking to keep us all as safe as possible while in the middle of the ocean with 3,000 other vacationers. All of this cleaning and sanitizing had me thinking about how we each clean and sanitize our own operations and which chemicals we chose to use.
