Food Protection Trends - May/June 2021 - 355

BEYOND the BIO

They then spent the next 10 days in the
hospital as Kevin clung to life. The E. coli
infection led to other complications which
caused his kidneys to shut down. And on
August 11, 2001, Kevin died.
" I had spent 10 years in the pharmaceutical industry and then because my son
died, I started asking a lot of questions, "
recalls Barbara. " I read the New England
Journal of Medicine regularly and I didn't
know about these risks. And the more I
started asking questions and engaging in
the issue, the more I was asked to speak
about it - I could talk about the science
and personal experience. "
Three years after Kevin's death, Barbara
left behind the career she'd built, and in
2005, co-founded a nonprofit with her
mother to prevent foodborne disease happening to other families. Completely dedicated to the cause, Barbara even obtained
her doctorate in Environmental Health.
Focused on the intersection of science and
public policy, her work over the past two
decades through the Center for Foodborne
Illness Research and Prevention has helped
drive food safety efforts across the globe.
" It became really important to me to
make sure those who were making laws
around food safety understood the science, "
Barbara said. " I felt like an informed mother
and I did my research but I really didn't
understand the risks of foodborne illness
at that time. "
Not allowing her son's death to be in vain,
Barbara helped provide recommendations
for reforming the way the Food and Drug
Administration oversees food safety. Many
of her recommendations were included in
the 2010 Food Safety Modernization Act,
which improved tracking of contaminated
food to its source. Barbara has also continued to serve on numerous government
advisory boards, including the Centers for

thanks to a $770,000 grant to improve food
safety and prevent foodborne illnesses from
the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for
Food Safety.
" The conversation around food safety has
changed a lot in 20 years, " she recalls. " I'm
passionate about helping people, particularly children, and I often have to remind
myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint. "
When she's not being a food safety superhero working to prevent foodborne illness,
you can find Barbara enjoying game night or
travelling with Michael and their surviving
children, Megan, Lara and Christopher. She
also somehow finds time to cross stitch and
participate in a book club.
" If you'd asked me 30 years ago if I'd be
doing this today, I would have said 'you're
out of your mind', " she says with a laugh.
" But if I can empower one person to change
their behaviors and practice safer food
handling, it's worth it. "

Disease Control and Prevention's Board of
Scientific Counselors FSMA Surveillance
Working Group and the Science Board to
the Food and Drug Administration.
Also, in 2010, Barbara was awarded the
LennonOno Grant for Peace. A biennial
award presented to individuals committed
to peace, truth and human rights, Barbara
was one of four recipients that year. And
yes, Barbara not only got to meet Yoko Ono
but was quite literally pulled onstage to sing
" Give Peace a Chance " alongside her.
" It was the trip and the memory of a
lifetime, " Barbara recalls. " And it's so surreal
to think about what led me there. "
More recently, in 2019, Barbara received
a $3.4 million grant from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation and the U.K. Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office
to develop a roadmap for implementing a
risk-based food safety system in Ethiopia.
And she'll be working in Kenya soon,

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

A: Bacon wrapped dates. Beets and goat cheese. And any food
involving pumpkin.
Q: WHAT FOOD DO YOU AVOID?

A: I have a list. Raw meat, fish and dairy. Sprouts ...
Q: FAVORITE FOOD SAFETY TIP?

A: Buy a meat thermometer and use it! And don't wash your chicken.
Q: FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAVEL?

A: The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, more specifically Au Train.
Q: FAVORITE FAMILY BOARD GAME?

A: Settlers of Catan
Q: A LITTLE KNOWN FACT?

A: My grandpa, known as Doc Buck, was a food chemist and scientist who
worked for Heinz. As a kid, I remember him letting me test the foods they
were developing.
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