Ep. 210. Campbell Mitchell: Executive Leadership in Food Safety on a Global Scale

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 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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