The Delicious World of Food Safety

Adverse Reactions

Even chocolate companies and wineries need toxicologists. Alexandria G. Lau, ToxStrategies Inc., has worked for both and shares her experiences with co-hosts Anne Chappelle and David Faulkner. They also discuss the research and development that goes into new food products and how toxicologists play a role in food safety.

About the Guest
Alexandria G. Lau, PhD, DABT, ToxStrategies Inc., is a toxicologist with a decade of experience in the food and beverage industry. She has extensive knowledge of global regulations related to consumer products, including pesticides (US Environmental Protection Agency), food and packaging (US Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority), and alcoholic beverages (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau).

Working for a prominent vineyard/winery, Dr. Lau managed the company’s global quality and food safety efforts, decreasing pesticide use and overseeing growers and vintners to ensure global regulatory compliance and supply chain flexibility. For a major food product manufacturer, she managed a large portfolio of products and food safety initiatives, developing and maintaining global policies, standards, and programs for everything from contaminant/allergen management to labeling and stakeholder communication. Dr. Lau also served at a senior level for a global manufacturer of consumer products, working in safety assessment and regulatory toxicology to support development of pest control products, ensuring regulatory compliance that included California Proposition 65.

Dr. Lau earned her PhD in toxicology and pharmacology from the University of Arizona, Tucson. She maintains a current and robust body of expertise through frequent continuing education and participation in professional associations and scientific conferences. She is often an invited speaker for association and industry events, and she has published extensively in the scientific literature. She also serves as an invited reviewer for the journals Toxicology Research and Application and Toxicological Sciences.

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1. Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00)

2. The Complexity of Determining Food Safety for Flavor Additives (00:01:14)

3. Estimating the Amount of a Food Someone Eats throughout a Lifetime (00:03:35)

4. The R&D for Shelf-Stable Foods (00:08:04)

5. Transparency in Food Production (00:10:36)

6. What Does It Mean If Something Is Organic? (00:13:16)

7. How Do You Become a Food Toxicologist? (00:15:11)

8. What Other Scientific Disciplines Are Involved in Food Safety? (00:20:55)

9. What Was a Significant Adverse Reaction in Your Life? (00:22:05)

10. If You Weren't a Scientist... (00:24:09)

11. Next Time on Adverse Reactions (00:25:12)