Ep. 210. Campbell Mitchell: Executive Leadership in Food Safety on a Global Scale
Release Date: 01/27/2026
Ep. 210. Campbell Mitchell: Executive Leadership in Food Safety on a Global Scale
Food Safety Matters
Campbell Mitchell, M.B.A., is Head of Food Safety and Compliance for Kraft Heinz North America. He has more than 30 years of international experience in food safety, quality management, and risk mitigation. Prior to joining Kraft Heinz, Campbell served as Vice President of Quality and Safety at Fairlife LLC, a $4-billion Coca-Cola-owned dairy brand. He has also held senior leadership roles with Kerry Group and Almarai in the Middle East. Additionally, he founded a consultancy that supported Tiger Brands in Africa. A microbiologist by training, Campbell holds a Postgraduate Diploma in...
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Ep. 209. Helena Bottemiller Evich: The MAHA Effect on American Food Policy
Food Safety Matters
Helena Bottemiller Evich is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Food Fix. She previously led coverage of food and agriculture at POLITICO for nearly a decade, winning numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious George Polk Award for a series on climate change and two James Beard Awards for features on nutrition and science. In 2022, she was a James Beard Award finalist for a deep dive on diet-related diseases and COVID-19. Helena is also a sought-after speaker and commentator on food issues, appearing on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, BBC, NPR, and other outlets. Her work is widely cited in the...
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Yiannas, McDonald, Besser, Hedberg: Fixing the Outbreak Investigation System
Food Safety Matters
Frank Yiannas, M.P.H. is a renowned food safety leader and executive, food system futurist, author, professor, past president of the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP), and advocate for consumers. Most recently, he served under two different administrations as the Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a position he held from 2018–2023, after spending 30 years in leadership roles with Walmart and the Walt Disney Company. After retiring from FDA, Mr. Yiannas founded Smarter FY Solutions to help organizations address...
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Ep. 208: Reviewing 2025—A Year of Change for Food Safety Policy
Food Safety Matters
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we discuss the top food safety stories of 2025 and their implications. We cover: The Trump Administration's impact on federal agencies overseeing food safety [7:52]: States and the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement declare war on "toxic" food chemicals and ultra-processed foods (UPFs) [27:52]: FDA’s focus on infant formula safety and the infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart formula [57:44]: Emerging science on Listeria monocytogenes...
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Ep. 207. Brian Sylvester: Preparing for ‘MAHA’-Driven Policy Changes on Food Dyes, UPFs, GRAS
Food Safety Matters
Brian P. Sylvester, J.D. is a Partner and Head of Food Regulatory in Morrison Foerster's FDA and Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, and is an influential thought leader and practitioner in food tech regulation. Brian counsels clients across the full lifecycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and...
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Ep. 206. Jay Berglind: In Fearless Pursuit of Safer Eggs and Food Safety Innovation
Food Safety Matters
Jay Berglind is a nationally respected food safety expert and the principal of Aegis Foods, a consultancy focused on strengthening food safety systems across the supply chain. Aegis Foods is also the maker of Fearless Eggs, the only pasteurized in-shell and poached eggs that are safe to eat raw. With more than 25 years of experience in food manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance, Jay is a trusted voice on preventing foodborne illness, understanding federal regulations, and responding to product recalls. Jay has served in leadership roles overseeing food safety and...
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Ep. 205. Black and Gabor: Digital Transformation and Emerging International Standards for Food Safety
Food Safety Matters
Tom Black is the First Assistant Secretary of the Exports and Veterinary Services Division at the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry. In this role, he is responsible for regulating and facilitating Australia's exports of animal commodities and certified organic products, while also providing the overarching technical food safety framework for both food exports and imports. Tom leads the Australian Government's bilateral and multilateral technical market access negotiations for these commodities and represents Australia in international...
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Kris Sollid: What Does Consumer Sentiment Say About the Safety of the U.S. Food Supply?
Food Safety Matters
Kris Sollid, R.D., is the Senior Director for Research and Consumer Insights at the International Food Information Council (IFIC). A registered dietitian with a passion for improving nutrition science communications, his role at IFIC includes leading consumer research projects, educational resource development, social and traditional media engagement, and written contributions to various consumer, trade, and peer-reviewed publications. In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Kris [1:20] about: The methodology and key metrics of IFIC’s 20th annual "Food and Health Survey,"...
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Ep. 204. Spink and Fenoff: How to Prevent Food Fraud in Your Supply Chain
Food Safety Matters
John Spink, Ph.D. is the Director and Lead Instructor for the Food Fraud Prevention Academy, as well as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in the College of Business at Michigan State University (MSU). His food fraud prevention research focuses on policy and strategy to understand and prevent supply chain disruptions and to implement procurement best practices. He is widely published in leading academic journals and has helped lead national and global regulatory and standards activity. More recently, his teaching and research has expanded to supply...
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Ep. 203. Dr. David Dyjack: What Does the Future of the Food Safety Workforce Look Like?
Food Safety Matters
David T. Dyjack, Dr.P.H., CIH has served as Executive Director and CEO of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) since May 2015. Dr. Dyjack's 30-year career includes expertise in environmental health, emergency preparedness and response, public health informatics, infectious disease, workforce development, governmental infrastructure, maternal and child health, health equity, and chronic disease. A board-certified industrial hygienist, Dr. Dyjack also has advanced degrees in public health with a doctorate from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from the University...
info_outlineCampbell Mitchell, M.B.A., is Head of Food Safety and Compliance for Kraft Heinz North America. He has more than 30 years of international experience in food safety, quality management, and risk mitigation. Prior to joining Kraft Heinz, Campbell served as Vice President of Quality and Safety at Fairlife LLC, a $4-billion Coca-Cola-owned dairy brand. He has also held senior leadership roles with Kerry Group and Almarai in the Middle East. Additionally, he founded a consultancy that supported Tiger Brands in Africa.
A microbiologist by training, Campbell holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from Massey University in New Zealand. He frequently speaks at industry events on the topics of food safety culture and sustainability.
In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Campbell [38:24] about:
- His childhood experience of growing up in different parts of the world and how it prepared him for an international career working in cross-cultural environments
- What led Campbell from an education in microbiology to a profession in food safety, which he describes as “more of an art than a science”
- What his role at Kraft Heinz entails, such as communicating that food safety is more than just lab testing—it's about every decision made within the organization
- The drivers behind and work involved in Kraft Heinz’s decision to phase out synthetic food colorings from its U.S. product portfolio
- How Campbell manages high-level leadership responsibilities with the task of meeting technical and regulatory requirements for food safety and quality
- The difference between food safety professionals' and consumers' concepts of “food safety” and how consumer demand influences business decisions
- Kraft Heinz's near-term objectives for strengthening organizational food safety culture and compliance, starting with an enterprise-wide food safety culture survey
- Examples of how digital tools can be used to proactively address food safety in complex supply chains, such as artificial intelligence (AI) for predicting when clean-in-place (CIP) needs to be conducted.
News and Resources
Eat Real Food: New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Name and Shame ‘Highly Processed Foods’ [6:29]
USDA-FSIS Describes Vision for Science-Based Approach to Reducing Salmonella in Poultry [14:35]
GAO Identifies Areas in Which FDA Has Yet to Fulfill FSMA [24:40]
Journal Retracts Hallmark Glyphosate Safety Study, Increasing Cancer Concerns [28:33]
EU Provides Guidance on Shelf-Life Studies to Reflect New Listeria Criteria for RTE Foods [35:09]
Sponsored by:
Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program
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