Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) training course coming June 26

Food Safety Net Services is offering Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) training course, titled “The Importance of GFSI in Food Safety Management and the Association with Microbiology,” June 26 in Greeley, Colorado. It will be taught by Alex Brandt, FSNS Chief Science Officer, and Lori Ernst, Senior Vice President of Audit Services. The course will cover GFSI influence on food safety management systems and the importance of understanding and reacting to data generated from sampling, testing and environmental monitoring.  It will also address the meaning of the results and possible risks associated if the information and data is not acted upon.

Ernst has 20 years’ of experience in food operational management. As a food industry auditor, Ernst has conducted more than 250 GFSI audits. Her audit capabilities cover animal welfare (all species), sanitation, food safety/ GMP, customer specific requirements, industry-specific needs and warehouse audits. She also has audit experience in multiple other areas including bakeries, flour milling, fish, canning, oil refining, dairy, eggs, beverages, produce and snack food items. Her specific qualifications cover BRC Food third-party audits; BRC Storage & Distribution third-party audits; BRC-approved training provider (ATP); SQF high-risk third-party audits; Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) red meat audits; and PAACO Poultry audits. Ernst also is trained for Foundation for Food Safety Certification (FSSC) 22000 and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification.

Brandt’s expertise includes food antimicrobials, environmental sampling, molecular subtyping of foodborne pathogens, molecular detection methods and persistence of foodborne pathogens in food processing environments. He is a member of several professional associations including the American Meat Science Association, the International Association for Food Protection, the Institute of Food Technologists, and AOAC International.

For more information, call 888-525-9788 or email [email protected].

Cole Tautges new VP of chemistry operations

FSNS also announced that Cole Tautges has joined the company as vice president of chemistry operations. He will head all aspects of chemistry for FSNS.

Prior to joining FSNS, Tautges worked at Covance in its Nutritional Chemistry and Food Safety department. He oversaw various methodologies including proximate chemistry, amino acids, sugars, fiber analysis and special projects. Tautges moved to Harrogate, England for a period of time to hire staff and establish a new chemistry laboratory in the United Kingdom. More recently, he was the lab manager for Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD). He also led the creation of the Reference Standard Services group, which focused on validations, qualifications, certification, storage and distribution of standards and critical reagents.