Episode 11 opens with a This is Spinal Tap reference, and a call back to an earlier episode. As usual, the guys seem to have technical difficulties, starting with Ben's need for a noise gate. It has taken a while to get this episode posted due to repeated issues relating to a Skype call with more than two people. Fortunately, Ben was able to fix it in post. Next time in might be easier to meet in person somewhere along I-95. Below are links to some of the stuff talked about on the podcast:
- Our guest Michelle Danyluk is from the University of Florida. Michelle has studied at the University of Alberta. That's in Canada.
- Michelle and Don also share a University of Georgia connection, where they both earned MS degrees.
- Michelle earned her Ph.D. in Linda Harris' lab and UC Davis.
- Ben once again shows his awesome knowledge of pop culture with WKRP in Cincinnati reference.
- For the record, Don has used some kinds of floppy disks, but not others.
- Ben's goto source for tee shirts.
- As a resident of North Carolina, Ben knows the true meaning of "Bless her heart".
- Michelle has volunteered as a judge for the Florida state science fair.
- Ben, Michelle and Don have all volunteered their time with this years First Lego League - FLL competition, which is food safety themed, with varying degrees of annoyance/success.
- Some of the more interesting FLL projects featured Glogerm and Predator Pee.
- Eventually the discussion turns to Food Safety, and Don mentions a post from Barfblog, where Doug asks the rhetorical question "Is government inspection better at ensuring safe produce?" which inspired Don to answer. Doug's post also inspired a longer and more thoughtful response from Mike Batz.
- For more on the Melon oubreak, see FDA's inspection results and their Draft Guidance, as well as the Barf Blog post concerning Roy Costa on the lack of a requirement for wash water chlorination.
- As might be expected with Don and Michelle on the call, the discussion soon turns to the Almond Board of California, who are more awesome than their Flash website implies. No discussion of almonds would be complete without a mention of the Almond Queen, LJH, the Federal Register rule which mentions our famous risk assessment, or the TERP
- The discussion turns to the relationship between large and small companies, the Vichyssoise and C. bot outbreak, and the Low Acid Canned Foods regulations and Better Process Control Schools it spawned, and well as the more modern Tester Amendment, which exempts small, local food processors and producers from the new Food Safety Modernization Act.
- Before the call ends, Don's plugs his Leafy Green Risk Webinar.
- We have yet to talk about Food safety audits, but when we do, these great USA Today competing editorials on the value of food safety audits, linked from Barfblog will be required reading.
