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Artwork for Smarter Food Safety

Smarter Food Safety

Frank Yiannas
Food Safety
Food Safety Culture
Food Safety Modernization Act
FDA
Cyclospora
Salmonella
Food Colorings
Whole Genome Sequencing
Public Health Surveillance
Food Traceability
Artificial Intelligence
CNN
New World Screwworm
Leadership
Foodborne Illness
Hyperactivity
Listeria
Policy
Foodborne Illnesses
FSIS

Smarter Food Safety is a science-based, straight-talk podcast hosted by former FDA Deputy Commissioner Frank Yiannas. Each episode goes beyond headlines to explore outbreaks, policy, culture, and emerging risks, with practical insights from global leaders across industry, government, and academia. Designed for food safety professionals, decision-makers, and innovators, the show delivers real-world... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes17Founded7 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
TechnologyNewsNews Commentary

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Artwork for Smarter Food Safety

Latest Episodes

This week on the Smarter Food Safety Podcast, Frank is joined by Dr. Joan Rose, Professor at Michigan State University and an internationally recognized water microbiologist, to explore the overlooked role of water in the Cyclospora story.

Could wa... more

In this episode of the Smarter Food Safety podcast, Frank Yiannas sits down with Dr. Craig Hedberg to examine what the summer of 2026 can teach us about foodborne illness prevention. With major Cyclospora and Salmonella outbreaks occurring at the sam... more

Food safety begins with leadership. In this episode of the Smarter Food Safety Podcast, Frank Yiannas sits down with Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World Resort, to explore how leaders shape culture and tu... more

In this special bonus episode of the Smarter Food Safety Podcast, Frank Yiannas launches a new series, Frankly Speaking, to provide timely perspectives on the food safety issues shaping our world. Frank examines the unprecedented Cyclospora outbreak ... more

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Recent Guests

Craig Hedberg
Professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health
University of Minnesota
Episode: Summer of Cyclospora and Salmonella: Lessons Learned (with Dr. Craig Hedberg)
Lee Cockerell
Former Executive Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World / Disney
Episode: Food Safe D Begins with Me: Leadership Lessons (with Lee Cockerell)
Marcia Brown
Food safety and health reporter, Politico (Inside the Beltway)
Politico
Episode: Breaking News, Broken Trust: The Media's Role in Food Safety (Inside the Beltway Perspective)
Mindy Brashears
Undersecretary for Food Safety, USDA
USDA
Episode: The Return of Screwworm - Is the US Food System Ready?
Brenda Goodman
Health reporter at CNN covering health, health policy, and medicine
CNN
Episode: Breaking News, Broken Trust: The Media's Role in Food Safety (Mainstream Media Perspective)
Dr. Phil Bremer
Chief Scientist at the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre; Professor at the University of Otago
New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre; University of Otago
Episode: Safe, Until it Isn't: Why Companies Become Complacent in Food Safety
Marcel Zwietering
Professor of food microbiology; Chair of ICMSF
Wageningen University, Netherlands
Episode: False Confidence: When Food Testing Gets Sampling Wrong
Sophie Attwood
Cambridge-trained behavioral scientist focusing on health challenges in the food system
Behavioral Global
Episode: Front of Pack Food Labels: Nudge or Noise!
Bill Marler
Food safety attorney, founder of Marler Clark
Marler Clark
Episode: Food Safety on Trial: Litigate, Regulate, or Innovate? (with Bill Marler)

Host

Frank Yiannas
Host of Smarter Food Safety

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Frank Yiannas on the Future of Food Safety

    Frank Yiannas delivers a clear and timely message: food safety is no longer just about compliance—it’s about culture, data, and speed.

    Drawing on his leadership at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and in industry, Frank Yiannas outlines the shift from reactive systems to predictive, technology-enabled food safety. It’s a message that resonates—but more importantly, it’s one that’s already playing out operationally.

    Where This Hits in the Real World

    In my first month leading Food Safe... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    John F. Schulz
    United States4 months ago
  • One of a kind

    I love that Frank is having real experts in the food safety field on as guests! The episode on food colorings was eye opening, and in general I love hearing the various perspectives and the technologies shaping the future of food safety.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Aaron_eVega
    United States6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host for clear, practical insights that connect policy to real-world impact.
The show is commended for turning complex food safety topics into actionable takeaways for professionals.
Guest diversity and depth of expertise are frequently highlighted as a strength.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Summer of Cyclospora and Salmonella: Lessons Learned (with Dr. Craig Hedberg)
Q: What infrastructure or systemic changes are most needed to improve future responses?
Sustained funding for public health surveillance, adequate staffing at state and local levels, and stronger public-private collaboration to translate signals into rapid investigations and timely recalls.
Summer of Cyclospora and Salmonella: Lessons Learned (with Dr. Craig Hedberg)
Q: How does traceability inform both epidemiologic investigations and preventive actions?
Traceability helps identify the suspect vehicle during the outbreak, then traces it back through the supply chain to locate the source and understand the contamination event, enabling quicker recalls and stronger, preventive measures for future outbreaks.
Food Safe D Begins with Me: Leadership Lessons (with Lee Cockerell)
Q: What practical steps can someone take to build a strong safety culture when their leadership does not seem to buy in?
Begin with personal responsibility in your area, push back with evidence, talk to frontline employees for direct insights, and model psychological safety by encouraging truthful conversations and clear expectations.
Food Safe D Begins with Me: Leadership Lessons (with Lee Cockerell)
Q: How do you characterize the difference between leadership and management?
Management focuses on doing, systems, and control, while leadership is about being a person of integrity, supporting people, making hard decisions, and creating an environment where truth can be told and learning happens.
Breaking News, Broken Trust: The Media's Role in Food Safety (Inside the Beltway Perspective)
Q: Tell us what types of stories really catch your attention and how you decide what to cover?
I'm drawn to stories with clear policy implications, regulatory changes, and the way outbreaks intersect with politics, governance, and consumer impact; I also value depth over mere event-driven coverage, seeking stories that explain why something happened and what it means for public health and policy.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Smarter Food Safety

What is Smarter Food Safety about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A science-based, straight-talk series that surveys outbreaks, policy, culture, and emerging risks through interviews with global leaders across government, industry, and academia. Episodes often center on improving food safety systems via data-driven decisions, regulatory reform, and practical, real-world protections—from regulatory priorities and public trust to innovative technologies like AI and sampling design. A standout is its consistent emphasis on culture as a primary control point and on actionable, cross-sector collaboration to build a safer, smarter food system.

Where can I find podcast stats for Smarter Food Safety?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Smarter Food Safety. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Smarter Food Safety and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Smarter Food Safety get?

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What are the audience demographics for Smarter Food Safety?

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How many subscribers and views does Smarter Food Safety have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Smarter Food Safety has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Smarter Food Safety?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Smarter Food Safety:

1. Food Safety Matters
2. The Mel Robbins Podcast
3. Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast
4. Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole
5. The Rest Is History

How many episodes of Smarter Food Safety are there?

Smarter Food Safety launched 7 months ago and published 17 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Smarter Food Safety?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Smarter Food Safety?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Smarter Food Safety from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Smarter Food Safety?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Smarter Food Safety. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Smarter Food Safety?

Recent guests on Smarter Food Safety include:

1. Craig Hedberg
2. Lee Cockerell
3. Marcia Brown
4. Mindy Brashears
5. Brenda Goodman
6. Dr. Phil Bremer
7. Marcel Zwietering
8. Sophie Attwood

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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