Ep. 56. Oscar Garrison: Regs and Eggs

Oscar Garrison is the senior vice president of food safety regulatory affairs at United Egg Producers. Previously, he was the director of food safety with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. As a past president of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, Oscar led the national organization's efforts to promote an integrated food safety system by working with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and industry.

Oscar earned his B.Sc. in Forensic Science and Technology from Jacksonville State University.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Oscar [20:25] about:

• How his background in forensic science led him to an unexpected career in food safety
• The most challenging aspects of being a state regulator
• How state regulatory bodies work with federal and local agencies to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks
• Why having specialized staff and maintaining those staff members are crucial at the state regulatory level
• How state regulators can help educate small and independent producers
• Inspection changes implemented in Georgia after the Peanut Corporation of America case
• His thoughts on data related to recent research on Salmonella and eggs
• Common questions and misconceptions about eggs and egg safety
• Whether or not a single food safety agency is a good idea
• Creative ways to use digital technology to ensure that state regulators can do their jobs
• Social media and regulators' responsibility to educate the public on food safety matters
• Whole-genome sequencing

Oscar Garrison's Articles in Food Safety Magazine
A Closer Look at Egg Safety
Evolution of a State Food Safety Program

Bob Ferguson's Food Safety Insights [15:24]
Bob joins us to discuss his article featured in our August/September 2019 issue:
The FSMA Intentional Adulteration Rule Is Here: Are Processors Ready?

Want more from Bob Ferguson? Find more of his articles and podcast segments.

News Mentioned in This Episode
Spain's Largest-Ever Listeria Outbreak [5:42]
Listeria Outbreak Has No Known Source in U.S.; Likely Source in Canada [8:56]
FDA Reminds Industry of Best Practices in Response to Food Tampering in Retail Grocery Stores [10:45]

Sponsor: Sterilex
Dry Floor Application Guide
Egg Grading Sanitation Program

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