Kathy Gombas is a recognized food safety expert with over 30 years of experience in the food industry—specializing in preventive controls, supply chain management, food safety auditing, and regulatory affairs.
Kathy retired from FDA after ten years of service. She was a Senior Advisor at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). While at CFSAN, Kathy was in a leadership role supporting FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act implementation efforts, including the Preventive Controls Regulator Training and launch of FDA's FSMA Technical Assistance Network for industry. Kathy also led the implementation of FDA's Reportable Food Registry.
Before joining FDA, Kathy held senior food safety positions at Dean Foods overseeing food safety programs for the company's northeast dairy operations and then the corporate Supplier Management Program. Prior to that, she spent eight years at Kraft Foods conducting food safety audits worldwide and developing corporate food safety policies.
Kathy is currently Chair of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) Steering Committee and Co-chair for the International Subcommittee working on industry training, outreach, and technical assistance programs for food companies worldwide. She is also Co-chair of the FSPCA Trainer of Trainers Work Group responsible for training and monitoring of FSPCA Lead Instructors. Kathy is an FSPCA Trainer-of-Trainers and Lead Instructor for Foreign Supplier Verification Programs and Preventive Controls for Human Food. She is also a member of the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Kathy [21:35] about:
News and Resources
FAO Report: Thinking About the Future of Food Safety [4:20]
World Food Safety Day: June 7, 2022 – Theme and Resources [11:10]
FSIS Exchanges WGS Information with FDA, Enhances Data Sharing with CDC [12:37]
Food Microbiology Forum: FoodMicrobiologyForum@rdls.nestle.com
EFSA Releases Scientific Opinion on High-Pressure Processing [16:36]
FSPCA Resource Links
FSPCA Website
Intentional Adulteration Training Courses
FSPCA Registered Courses
Preferred Vendor List for Qualified Translators and Reviewers
Sign up for FSPCA Updates and Newsletters
Register for the Food Safety Summit: May 9–12; Early Bird ends March 31.
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We Want to Hear from You!
Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com
Bonus Episode: Live from the 2024 Food Safety Summit—Part 2
Ep. 169. Live from the 2024 Food Safety Summit—Part 1
Elanco: Dr. Alissa Welsher—Using Darkling Beetles as an Indicator for Pre-Harvest Salmonella Loads
Ep. 168. Francine Shaw: Watching the Kitchen to Ensure Food Safety in Foodservice
Ep. 167. James (Jim) Jones: Engaging Stakeholders for a Unified FDA Human Foods Program
Ep. 166. Robert Manning: Real-World Recall Management and Prevention Strategies
MilliporeSigma: Cultivated Seafood—Collaborative Journey to Scale-Up Success
Ep. 165. Dr. Jason Richardson: Refreshing FSQA Culture at The Coca-Cola Company
Ep. 164. Brian Ronholm: Food Safety Current Events From a Consumer Advocate POV
Ep. 163. Natalie Dyenson: IFPA’s Advocacy for Global, Farm-to-Fork Produce Safety
Ep. 162. Brian Sylvester: How the California Food Safety Act is Shaping U.S. Food Additives Regulation
Ep. 161. Sara Mortimore: Managing Food Safety and Supply Chains at Walmart and Beyond
Ep. 160. 2023: A Year of Evolving Food Safety Concerns and Regulations
Ep. 159. Sherry Brice: Balancing Food Safety, Business Leadership, and Teamwork
Path Forward: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency through Equipment Qualification
Ep. 158. Harris and Grantham: How Food Processors are Preparing to Meet FSMA 204 Traceability Requirements
MilliporeSigma: Guarding Your Food—Detecting Cronobacter and Ensuring Food Safety
Ep. 157. Dr. Kathy Knutson: Food Safety Considerations and Regulations for Cannabis-Infused Edibles
Ma and D’lima: How FDA Enforces Allergen Requirements and Recalls to Ensure Food Safety
Ep. 156. Lise Korsten: Food Safety Considerations, From Post-Harvest Interventions to Future Challenges
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