Don't Eat Poop! A Food Safety Podcast

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine dig into the rising trend of edible insects and lab-grown meat, and what it means for food safety compliance, foodborne illness prevention, and regulatory frameworks. From cricket protein powder to 3D-printed steak, this isn’t sci-fi anymore—it’s on your dinner plate. But are regulators ready? Are you ready? And most importantly, what happens when something goes wrong in a sterile lab environment? Let’s just say: this episode gets crunchy. In this episode: 00:00:00 Insect Protein and Lab-Grown Meat 00:08:57 Global Food Safety Regulation Challenges 00:13:05 Facebook Marketplace Food Sales 00:19:15 Consumer Trust Issues 00:22:28 Future Food Trends and Concerns Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Take a look at the Food Safety News article we’re talking about today: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2026/03/insects-and-cell-based-food-on-radar-of-food-regulators/ Noteworthy quotes from this episode “Say this does get to a point at which we figure out how to scale printing meat in a lab and it tastes just like meat, what food safety risks come from that in the future? I guess to be determined.” – Matt Regusci I can't imagine thinking I'm craving a cicada. I'm craving a chocolate-covered cockroach today.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. If your fridge could talk, would it confess to crimes against food safety? In this hilariously relatable episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine tackle a topic every food safety professional knows, but many still neglect at home: cleaning out the refrigerator. From expired blue cheese dressing with a personality of its own to mystery leftovers that defy identification, this episode dives into food safety compliance at home, proper storage habits, and the real risks of ignoring expiration dates. Spoiler: your condiments are probably guilty. In this episode: 00:00:00 Deep Cleaning Your Refrigerator 00:04:59 The Hidden Danger of Condiments 00:14:43 Safe Thawing Practices 00:23:46 FIFO: First In, First Out 00:27:26 Fridge Sanitation Schedules Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ When you're cleaning out leftovers, and your question isn't, 'What is this?’ but ‘What was this?’ that’s not good.” – Matt Regusci “ Folks, it's time to clean out your refrigerator and get rid of those condiments from last summer. Get rid of them!” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. Food safety regulations can sometimes feel like a bureaucratic maze, but behind the scenes, regulators, inspectors, and food businesses are all trying to accomplish the same thing: keeping people from getting sick. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine sit down with Steven Mandernach from AFDO (the Association of Food and Drug Officials) to unpack the complex world of food safety inspections, regulatory collaboration, and the future of food safety compliance. From government shutdowns affecting inspectors to the evolving relationship between state regulators, the FDA, and food businesses, the conversation dives deep into how the system really works and where it could work better. In this episode: 00:00:00 The AFDO, FDA, and USDA 00:06:27 Food Code Interpretation Gaps 00:11:12 Food Facility Inspection Realities 00:22:07 Industry and Regulator Partnerships 00:34:32 Food Safety Workforce Challenges 00:47:02 Compensation And Staffing 00:51:38 The Role of Lawyers in Food Safety Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Connect with Steven here. Listen to our last conversation with Steven: Rethinking How Things Are Done to Solve Food Safety Problems with Steven Mandernach from AFDO | Episode 90 Noteworthy quotes from this episode “I'm not sure it's a science major. I think we could find someone with critical thinking skills, good time management, and who communicates well, and I could turn them into a good food safety inspector.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine sit down with leadership powerhouse Tia Glave, co-founder of Catalyst Food Leaders, to discuss the one thing most food safety professionals overlook: culture and behavior change. If your HACCP plan is flawless but your team still rolls their eyes at food safety training, this episode is for you. Because here’s the hard truth: food safety compliance isn’t a paperwork problem. It’s a people problem. Recorded at the Food Safety Consortium, Tia explains why technical brilliance won’t move your organization forward unless you can explain the why in a way that actually resonates, from preventing foreign material contamination to navigating food safety audits for foodservice. In this episode: 00:00:00 Why Culture Drives Food Safety 00:05:17 Behavior Change Takes Time 00:11:46 Connecting To Personal Values 00:19:01 Budgets, Strategy, And Buy-In 00:27:57 Traceability And Change Management Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Connect with Tia here. Past episodes with Tia: Episode 36Episode 106 Noteworthy quotes from this episode “I don't need to be the voice of food safety culture as a food safety professional. Everyone knows I care about it. I need that maintenance tech to be talking about it. I need the finance team to be talking about it in a meeting. I need someone else who I didn't even know heard me to be talking about it in their circles. That's what we need. We need that commitment, and you get it through connecting to their values.” – Tia Glave 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are discussing Francine's favorite virus: Norovirus. It's no surprise this foodborne illness made an appearance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and it's also no surprise that our hosts had a thing or two to say about this super spreader event. Tune in for some laughs, a shortage of condoms, all you need to know about the super bug that is Norovirus, and more. In this episode: 0:00:00 Matt's life fostering medically fragile kids 0:07:05 Olympics + free condoms = more Norovirus? 0:14:53 The Poop Cruise: the cruiseship from hell 0:18:26 The science behind the spread of Norovirus 0:26:37 Francine's Norovirus outbreak care packages Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Watch Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. Catch up with Episode 152, where we talk about the economics of foodborne illnesses. Read The Conversation article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ Norovirus is like a super bug, man. It has good survival skills. I gotta hand it to Norovirus. It is a maximum survivalist. So, making sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water is essential.” – Matt Regusci “ 2,800 athletes were there the first week. Now, they've been handing out these free condoms since 1988, and I wonder if there's a correlation between the close contact and the Norovirus.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are celebrating the podcast's 3 Year Anniversary with a blast from the past: the salmon in the dishwasher, the podcast's first inside joke. If you've been listening for a while, you probably know that cooking your salmon in the dishwasher is a BAD idea. Now, tune in to discover all the other things that people put in their dishwashers and what experts have to say about it. Thank you for listening, and here’s to another year of the Don’t Eat Poop! Podcast. In this episode: 0:00:00 A party trick for your Super Bowl watch party 0:07:18 Why cooking in a dishwasher is a BAD idea 0:15:36 Part 1: Strangest things put in dishwashers 0:19:07 Questionable ways to thaw poultry and more 0:23:56 Part 2: Strangest things put in dishwashers Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Catch up with our "fun" episode from a couple of weeks ago, Episode 153. Watch the Netflix series about the Australian lady who killed in-laws with Beef Wellington. Learn more about Norovirus at the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics on this LinkedIn post by Francine. Find the full Consumer Reports Matt and Francine are referring to here. Check out Francine’s book Who Watches the Kitchen? for more crazy stories people shared during training. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ Appliances are designed to perform specific tasks quickly and efficiently, so take advice from the people who make the dishwashers and leave [the food] to the cooking ranges and ovens. Amen.” – Matt Regusci “ When I was training, I had people tell me that they thawed their poultry in the dryer. Can you imagine a turkey tumbling in your clothing dryer?” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are highlighting Azure Edwards's latest opinion piece on Food Safety News, "The food industry’s training problem is the system it keeps paying for". She raises crucial points that our hosts have also been talking about for a while, such as the importance of having a strong food safety culture, the real financial impact of weak training and systems, how audits and certifications are not enough, and more. In this episode: 0:00:00 The food safety industry's training failures 0:08:45 How food safety culture weakens under pressure 0:14:14 What is missing from food safety training 0:18:05 The risks of transactional food safety 0:20:19 What makes a company successful long-term 0:27:03 The real importance of ethics and integrity Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the Food Safety News opinion piece by Azure Edwards that Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. For a look into the real cost of food safety failures, catch up with Episode 152. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ I love that she uses the temporary workers and the seasonal workers as a stress test for your food safety culture. If there's an issue with your facility during these peak times, it's not your seasonal and temporary workers that are the issue. It's your systems that are the issue.” – Matt Regusci “ I've always said the one thing that nobody can take from you is integrity. You do that yourself.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are taking a detour from food poisoning to actual poison in food. Our hosts hadn't done any episodes about people getting intentionally killed with food in a long time, and Francine, our resident murder-mystery aficionado, made sure it got back in the lineup. Tune in for the Thanksgiving from hell case, where a mother poisoned her children's wine, and a throwback to the poison mushroom beef Wellington case. In this episode: 0:00:00 Someone did kill their loved ones this time 0:03:53 The poison mushroom beef Wellington murders 0:07:49 How a mother killed her family on Thanksgiving 0:15:09 Premeditation and getting away with murder 0:21:21 Our fascination with how criminal minds work Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Learn all about the Thanksgiving from Hell case here. Hear more about the Australian lady who tried to kill her in-laws with beef Wellington on Episode 38. In case you needed a reminder, catch up with Episode 95 | Don’t Kill Your Loved Ones During the Holidays and Episode 146 | Seriously, Don’t Kill Your Loved Ones During the Holidays. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “To put this chemical in wine and give it to your children and one of their children's boyfriends at a Thanksgiving dinner. That is a whole new level of evil to me.” – Matt Regusci “ She's a restaurateur. How much has she potentially gotten away with in 20 years? That is scary. If she's willing to do this to her own children, who else might she be willing to do this to, potentially?” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about some very high, but also very preventable, costs: those resulting from foodborne illnesses. Our hosts are unpacking the Cost Estimates of Foodborne Illnesses data for 2023, released by the USDA in December 2025. You'll learn the real cost of diseases such as Salmonella, Norovirus, Listeria, Botulism, and more. In this episode: 0:03:38 Norovirus: largest number of cases 0:08:54 Salmonella: greatest overall cost 0:11:19 E.coli, Botulism, Vibrio: surprising numbers 0:13:07 Listeria: fewer cases, deadly costs 0:23:10 How to get buy-in for food safety initiatives Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the Marler Blog article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. Check out Francine's QSR Magazine 2018 article on the cost of foodborne illness. Catch up with Episode 144 | Apparently, a Little Salmonella in Poultry is Okay. But Should It Really Be? Also listen to Episode 122 | Listeria’s Lasting Damage: A Food Safety Wake-Up Call Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ You have an easier chance of getting a one on a roll of a dice than surviving Listeriosis. It is like one in three, one in four, depending upon the outbreak. So you have a 25% to 33% chance of death when you get Listeriosis. Not good.” – Matt Regusci “ Those are the things that people don't think about. They see these numbers. These are numbers on our screens at this point. People see numbers, and they hear statistics [but] these are human lives.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are back from their quick holiday break and are ready to tackle the brand-new 2026 food pyramid. With their special brand of humor, they walk through each of the four iterations of the visual American dietary guidelines over the years and what they mean for Americans. In this episode: 0:00:00 Holiday break update and misplaced keys 0:11:07 The 1992-2005 food pyramid and its impacts 0:17:21 The confusing 2005-2011 MyPyramid 0:19:37 The 2011-2026 MyPlate (not actually a pyramid) 0:23:28 The 2026 upside-down food pyramid 0:34:32 Will this change how people eat? Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Catch up with Episode 146 | Seriously, Don’t Kill Your Loved Ones During the Holidays, where Matt talked about his dread over traveling with his entire family over the holidays. Check out Frank Yiannas' LinkedIn post with the evolution of the food pyramid over time. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ I do not disagree with this new pyramid. It's basically my diet. What I do disagree with is [that] it doesn't make it easy for someone to look at this and go, 'Oh, this is how I am supposed to eat.' There's nothing really easy about it.” – Matt Regusci “'0 5 to '11 looks like they just took the colors of the rainbow, tossed them together in a mountainous type setting, and threw a bunch of food at the bottom of it.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by produce safety veteran Humberto Maldonado, the Director of Safety and Compliance at Organically Grown Company, straight from the Food Safety Consortium 2025. Humberto shares lessons from his 20+ years in produce safety. Starting out with the 2003 Hepatitis A green onion outbreak at the beginning of his food safety career, to his time at Driscoll's Mexico navigating auditors and growers, and his newer role. Get ready for an episode packed with food safety wisdom and practical ways to build a culture of food safety from the field all the way to the C-suite. In this episode: 0:00:00 Audits and certifications at Driscoll's Mexico 0:10:29 The 2003 Hepatitis A outbreak in green onions 0:16:17 Beyond audits to a good culture of food safety 0:25:48 Humberto's work at Organically Grown Company 0:29:57 Food safety culture from field to C-suite Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read about the 2003 Hepatitis A Outbreak Associated with Green Onions here. Learn more about the Organically Grown Company. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “One of the pushbacks I always received was, 'This is too complex for the growers to understand. This is too complex for the harvest crew people to understand.' That's not true. We are the ones making things complex. You can explain complex things in a simple way, so keep it simple.” – Humberto Maldonado 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Humberto, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about some even more frustrating news on the FDA's traceability rule, FSMA 204. Back in April of 2025, the implementation of the rule was pushed off yet again, giving the food industry 2.5 years to become fully compliant. Everything changed after the longest government shutdown in US history, though, because the new funding bill blocks FMSA 204. That's, unfortunately, expected, since some of the senators who ended the stalemate received funds from food industry lobbyists. Tune in for a breakdown of the current situation with US food traceability. In this episode: 0:00:00 Food traceability policies are being gutted 0:11:17 Who's behind the death of FSMA 204 and why 0:17:54 Why food traceability is extremely complicated 0:23:38 Politicians, integrity, and helping people 0:30:27 What will happen with FSMA 204 Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the Marler Blog article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. Listen to Episode 148, where we talk about the huge increase in hospitalizations and deaths from foodborne illness. Catch up with Episode 109 from April 2025, where we questioned whether or not FSMA 204 would ever actually be implemented. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ I think [FSMA 204 is] dead. I think there's going to be some companies that are going to do it, but without the government's push to do this, it will not happen across the board, which means it won't happen.” – Matt Regusci “ So, let me tell you what I love about this. The National Restaurant Association, they make all their money promoting and advocating for food safety. That's how they earned all that money that they donated to lobby against it.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are looking back before they look forward in this new year. They are unpacking an article from February 2025 that shares some worrisome stats about foodborne illness, outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths from contaminated food in 2024, all of which increased significantly from the previous year. In this episode: 0:00:00 When distances are relative 0:07:07 A recap of food recalls in 2024 0:13:43 Key findings on foodborne illnesses 0:18:06 If you don't test for it, it's not there Tune back in next week for the episode where our hosts talk about the article on how the government is looking to shut down some key food safety acts and rules. Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the Food for Thought 2025 article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. Correction: chickens fly at 175 birds per minute, not 175 miles per hour, in US poultry processing plants. You can learn more about these worrisome speeds on Episode 110. As for the acceptable levels of Salmonella in poultry, you can check out Episode 144. For a Recap of 2024’s Major Outbreaks with Bill Marler, listen to Episode 92, and for one of the major outbreaks from the first half of 2025, catch up with Episode 129. Hear more about what it's like to get listeria and survive it in the gut-wrenching Episode 122. Learn the basics of the ByHeart Infant Botulism Outbreak linked to their baby formula, check out Episode 147. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ If we're looking at why 13 [outbreaks] accounted for 98% of the hospitalizations and deaths. It's because 22% of the recalls came from Listeria. That is crazy.” – Matt Regusci “ It's mind-boggling that they are shutting down food safety programs one after another, agencies, and just different things throughout the course of the year, and foodborne illnesses are increasing.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are unpacking what's shaping up to be one of the worst outbreaks of 2025: the ByHeart Infant Botulism Outbreak linked to their baby formula, previously Clean Label Project (CLP) certified. There have been other cases over the years, and, unfortunately, this just happens to be the most recent one. We need to find a way to curb this. That's why our hosts are sharing not only the details of this international outbreak, but also possible solutions and straightforward practices that food producers can implement to effectively prevent outbreaks. In this episode: 0:01:07 What CLP does and doesn't test for and why 0:10:48 How Matt helped companies through outbreaks 0:15:27 How the industry can truly prevent outbreaks 0:23:23 How to ensure your product is pathogen-free 0:26:42 Why baby formula standards must be stricter 0:39:30 One of the worst outbreaks of 2025 Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Learn all about Clean Label Project in our interview with Jaclyn Bowen, the previous Executive Director, in Episode 101. Stay up-to-date on this outbreak here. Read Bill Marler's article on Operation Stork Speed. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ The only 100% way that you are not going to get somebody pregnant or an STD is: don't have sex. For the advice for the industry, the only way to be 100% sure that you are not going to have pathogens in your product is to test them all. ” – Matt Regusci “ This isn't the only case. [...] This just happens to be the most current. Now we're giving [babies] poisoned food, and it's the only food they're receiving. It's detrimental, and we need to find a way to curb this.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are once again trying to convince you not to kill your loved ones over the holidays. Since last year's episode may not have been enough, they're back this year with ways to protect your family from foodborne illness this holiday season. Tune in to a chaotic episode that's full of life and gratitude, our hosts' unique sense of humor in full force, a boatload of pre-travel anxiety, and some crazy food safety stories. Disclaimer: If you're a social worker working with CPS or foster care and you end up listening to this, please do not take what Matt's saying at face value. He is indeed joking and/or being sarcastic. In this episode: 0:00:00 Holiday plans and flying with a family of 15 0:11:14 A rough year and a shout-out from Francine 0:13:05 Thermometers, wipes, and sleeping aids 0:17:02 Holiday food safety fails and how to avoid them 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! Want to read the story about the turkey that flew during Thanksgiving and other captivating, crazy food safety stories? Make sure to check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? Read our complete guide on How to Not Kill Your Family Over the Holidays. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ I bet that stuffing was absolutely amazing, sitting there permeating in all the juices overnight. [...] So, you taste all the other flavors, but not salmonella. You taste all the other flavors coming back up again after you get salmonella.” – Matt Regusci “ I got the flu a lot at Thanksgiving when I was a kid. [...] When I say the flu, we all know the flu now isn't vomiting and diarrhea.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are talking about a bill introduced to the Senate earlier this year, the “Direct Interstate Retail Exemption for Certain Transactions Act of 2025.” This DIRECT Act would allow direct-to-consumer online sales of state-inspected meat and poultry across state lines. Tune in as our hosts unpack the proposed legislative changes, the potential benefits, and what it would mean for the USDA, as well as the possible food safety risks, traceability issues, and other challenges. In this episode: 0:06:17 Breaking down the DIRECT Act 0:14:33 Will traceability get better? 0:17:37 USDA vs. State inspections and exemptions 0:23:33 Will enforcement be stronger? 27:05 The big issue with the current consolidation 30:5 Where our meat imports come from Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the Food Safety News article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode. Hear the new and exciting things over at Food Safety News on Episode 143. Catch up with the Pre-Made Pasta Meals Listeria outbreak with Episode 141. Learn all about how fast the chickens fly at a poultry plant with Episode 110, as well as how upset the poultry industry is over a salmonella-filled report with Episode 144. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “This is a chink against not just the USDA's armor of the monopoly, but it's also a chink against the top meat producers in their monopoly armor. They don't want small meat companies competing against them. Not at all.” – Matt Regusci “ I'm all about helping the smaller farmers, the smaller businesses. I am all about doing whatever we can do to support them. I live in an area that that is what we are. But we need to make sure that we do it safely.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are, unfortunately, talking once more about poultry and salmonella. They are unpacking the concerning Farm Forward Salmonella and Foodborne Disease Report released in October 2025. The results showed elevated levels of salmonella contamination in grocery store poultry samples. Tune in to discover why poultry-related salmonella infections persist in the US, including how USDA standards fall short, the industry pushback, and what can be done to reverse this situation. In this episode: 0:00:00 The report that found salmonella in poultry 0:09:47 The unmet USDA salmonella contamination limits 0:11:58 How poultry should follow other industries' standards 0:17:56 Lessons from the US beef industry and the EU 0:22:09 The safe temperature to cook poultry Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Read the LA Times article Matt and Francine refer to in this episode and the original Farm Forward Report. Francine's LinkedIn Post with a picture of turkey packaging that showed improper handling procedures. Just in case you need a refresher on how to safely handle poultry, catch up with Episode 73 | Don’t Wash Your Chicken, Seriously. Watch Bill Marler and Dr. Darin Detwiler’s Emmy award-winning documentary, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ While I'm not for ending commercial chicken farming, I am for ending salmonella in one-third or over 400,000 of the cases annually in consumers. You can be for commercial farming and also against poisoning people.” – Matt Regusci “ For the industry to take this attitude is just, I believe, irresponsible on their part. It shows, in my opinion, just a total lack of disregard for consumers because they've got the ability to correct it. They're choosing not to [deal with salmonella].” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by two special guests: Bill Marler, who you already know as the nation's leading foodborne illness attorney, and his wonderful son-in-law, Peter Gustafson. But this isn't a family reunion; they are here to share some very exciting news about Food Safety News (FSN), the online newspaper that has been keeping everyone who cares about the safety of our food supply informed about critical food safety concerns for the past 16 years. For all those years, Bill alone funded the publication, but that is not sustainable. Thankfully, Peter recently joined the team as a Fractional Executive Director of FSN, and they're figuring out how to change that. Tune in to discover the future of FSN and the changes that will allow it to not only outlast Bill, but to take the food safety journalism we know and love to the next level. In this episode: 0:05:58 The history and evolution of FSN 0:11:47 The importance of making FSN self-sustaining 0:19:48 The 1st solution: Google Ads and nonprofit status 0:22:50 The age of AI and the need for a new solution 0:26:27 What the new FSN+ membership will look like 0:31:43 Becoming sustainable to go above and beyond Resources from this episode Be one of the first to become an FSN+ member and lock in the founding member pricing at foodsafetynews.com/membership. Read some deep Bill Marler angst in the Marler Blog. Read Francine's opinion pieces in Food Safety News through the years. Check out the Food Safety News Merch Store. Catch up with past Bill Marler Don't Eat Poop! episodes: Episode 17Episode 18Bonus EpisodeEpisode 92Episode 100Episode 129 Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ It's not a desire to cut back. It's a desire to build. It's a desire to make something sustainable, better, and more useful for the food safety public.” – Bill Marler “I think this year we're averaging just over 400,000 page views per month, whereas last year we averaged 1.6 million pages per month [...] So as you can imagine, that [FSN's ad] revenue came down quite a bit.” – Peter Gustafson 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Bill, Peter, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere. 👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are joined by Melody Ge, the Founder of Women in Food Safety and Chief Technical Officer at EAGLE Certification Group, straight from the Food Safety Consortium 2025. They've been wanting to have Melody on the show for years, and it's finally worked out. There's a cumulative 70 years of experience among them in this episode, and you'll hear the stories that come along with it. Learn more about the 5-year-old Women in Food Safety community, which has recently become a full-fledged nonprofit. Get the lay of the land in the food safety auditing world, learn what's missing, and discover how Melody, who has been both an auditor and an auditee, and her team at EAGLE are working to change that reality. In this episode: 0:00:00 Melody’s 20-year career path 0:04:04 Growing Women in Food Safety 0:07:40 The biggest challenge for food safety pros 0:12:43 Food safety audit industry issues 0:15:53 Solutions for auditing, and the industry's future 0:31:45 How to help pipeline future good auditors 0:40:52 Melody's Food Safety Consortium reflections Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Learn more about and join the Women in Food Safety through their LinkedIn or website. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ Regardless, it's either the auditee or the auditor. We all want food safety. This is a common goal, and I never doubted that before. It's the approach and the position we're in [that are] very different. So, how can we help each other and make the most value out of it?” – Melody Ge 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Melody, Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms

In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine are, unfortunately, talking about a deadly multi-state Listeria outbreak… again. This time, the culprit is surprisingly hiding in pasta. Tune in as they break down the recent outbreak, which has a 26% death rate, and has led to recalls of pre-made pasta meals across stores, including Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe's. Discover the only way to fix Listeria, what foodborne illnesses truly mean for their victims, and how outrageously our government and institutions have been handling these realities. In this episode: 0:00:00 A deadly and unexpected Listeria outbreak in pasta 0:15:18 Victims aren't getting the information they need 0:18:41 The only solution for Listeira, food safety's #1 enemy 0:21:17 The harsh realities and ugly effects of foodborne illnesses 0:25:10 The stories of the victims that hit our hosts the hardest 0:30:15 The government's mantra: "We ignore it, so it goes away" Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Check out the Food Safety News article our hosts are referring to, "More deaths reported in Listeria outbreak linked to pre-made pasta meals." Watch Dr. Darin Detwiler and Bill Marler’s Emmy award-winning documentary, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food. Catch up with Episode 122, where we learn the story of a man who survived Listeriosis but lost everything else. Noteworthy quotes from this episode “ Listeria is a big deal, and the only way to fix Listeria is having a food safety culture that allows you to test for this and really find and destroy this bug. This is the enemy, and every single facility in the world needs to view Listeria as the number one enemy.” – Matt Regusci “ We're never gonna stop all of the foodborne illnesses. That's impossible. But they can certainly be minimized, and that's what's so frustrating, is none of them have to happen, but they're all preventable. Nobody should ever die from eating food.” – 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! Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed. We'd love to hear from you! 📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn! 📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen? 🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP! Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected. _______ Produced by Ideablossoms