Infant Formula Botulism Outbreak: The Supplier Link l Episode 189

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Infant Formula Botulism: One Supplier, Two Brands | Episode 189 Two infant formula brands, made by different companies on different continents, sickened babies with botulism seven months apart. The thing they had in common wasn’t a factory. It was an ingredient, sourced from the same organic whole milk supplier and spray-dried at the same facility, and nobody in the chain was testing for botulism. Francine and Matt break down how the outbreak was traced upstream, why “we never tested for that” keeps showing up in outbreak investigations, and what it would take for companies to get ahead of risks they don’t even know exist yet. Spoiler alert: food safety keeps getting treated as an expense until an outbreak forces it to become an investment. In this episode: 💩 01:16 The CDC names the supplier behind the infant formula botulism outbreak 💩 06:56 The Marler Blog breakdown: one ingredient, two brands 💩 10:49 The sub-supplier problem: brands may not know where their ingredients originate 💩 17:09 Risk assessments by product and region 💩 22:44 Food safety budgets: investment or expense? 💩 33:31 Francine’s experience auditing for insurance companies 💩 41:40 From The Jungle to Jack in the Box 💩 44:54 Matt’s advice: get out of your silo

Disclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice. Resources from this episode Marler Blog: Infant formula botulism outbreak supplier traceback Food Safety News coverage of the infant formula botulism outbreak CDC outbreak notice: Infant botulism linked to infant formula Previous episode: The WanaBana lead-in-cinnamon recall Previous episode: Cyclospora outbreak The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Noteworthy quotes from this episode

“They see it as an expense until they have some kind of major outbreak. And then suddenly it’s important for a while.” – Francine L. Shaw “If you’re bored in food safety, you’re really doing something wrong.” – Matt Regusci 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!

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