Food Safety Virtual Office Hours

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 | 12:00 to 1:00 pm Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Join us for the next session of Food Safety Virtual Office Hours, where Matt Herrick (IDFA), Jason Jacobs (Beech-Nut), Mark Moorman (FDA), Meredith Carothers (USDA), Ben Chapman (NCSU) and Brittany Towers (@theBlackFoodScientist on Instagram) will discuss consumer food safety expectations and building trust.

This Food Safety Virtual Office Hours session will explore how to navigate evolving consumer expectations around food science. The discussion will examine how trends, such as ingredient transparency, chemical contamination, wellness, and risk fatigue, balance with the challenges of communicating scientific trade-offs effectively. Attendees will gain practical insights for maintaining public trust.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a moderated Q&A and discussion with a panel of experts. Food Safety Virtual Office Hours are hosted in collaboration with the New York Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence, and the IFS@CU.

Panel of Experts

• Meredith Carothers, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Dr. Ben Chapman, Professor, North Carolina State (NCSU)
• Matt Herrick, Executive Vice President & Chief Impact Officer, International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
• Jason Jacobs, Vice President QA & Technical Services at Beech-Nut Nutrition Company
• Brittany Towers, Product Development & Food Science Educator, (@theBlackFoodScientist on Instagram)
• Dr. Caitlin Karolenko (moderator), IAFNS - Advancing Food and Nutrition Sciences
• Dr. Mark Moorman, Senior Science Advisor, Food and Drug Administration
• Dr. Abby Snyder (moderator), Associate Professor, Dept. of Food Science, Cornell University

More Details

• Intended Audience: Open to anyone in the food industry from farm to fork.
• Cost: Free
• Registration Required: cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/-91ZHoDJTkmtCioKsS3NdA
  • After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information to join the session.