Our series of Best-in-Class webinars provides a quick study on various topics related to core food safety concepts. Each course is performed as a 2-hour “lunch and learn”-style presentation. Lead instructor, Mike Cramer of the Eurofins Advanced Learning Institute, delivers practical guidance and basic tools through the viewpoint of his 40+ years of experience in meat and food manufacturing.
These free webinar sessions are valuable for food industry personnel involved in all phases of food manufacturing, distribution, retail, and storage, and are critical to the foundation of a strong, well-rounded food safety culture.
MEET THE HOST
Michael Cramer | Trainer, Eurofins Advanced Learning Institute
Michael Cramer started his career at Swift & Company in Pennsylvania as a summer employee. He worked his way up to QA Manager (Pennsylvania and North Carolina), Production Specialist and Corporate Documentation Manager (Illinois) to QA Manager at the Swift-Eckrich plant in Chicago and then QA Director for the Armour processed meat and poultry plants. He then moved to Specialty Brands, Inc./Windsor Foods/Ajinomoto Foods North America where he stayed from 1993 to his retirement in 2023. There he served as Director of Food Safety and Quality assurance before being promoted to Senior Director of FSQA.
Mike is known for his in-depth knowledge of food plant sanitation and has written a book, now in its 3rd edition, “Food Plant Sanitation, Design, Maintenance and Good Manufacturing Practices.” He is also a member of the editorial board of Food Safety Magazine and has over twenty articles published dealing with Listeria control, Biosecurity, Sanitation and Sanitary Design, Sanitation 5S, and Allergens. As well, he is a contributing member of the American Frozen Foods Institute Listeria Working Group. You can find multiple Food Safety Matters podcasts and food sanitation webinars that he has led.
Upcoming Live Webinars
Sign up for one of our upcoming live sessions. Calendar already booked up during this time? No problem! Register today, and you will receive a copy of the webinar recording within three business days after the live event.
Integrated Pest Management | June 3, 2026 | Register
Recall Policy and Action Plan | June 24, 2026 | Register
Root Cause Analysis | July 15, 2026 | Register
Regulatory Response | August 5, 2026 | Coming Soon
Sign up here to be notified when registration for future episodes becomes available.
On-Demand Webinars
Check out past webinars in the Best in Class webinar series below.
Foreign materials and off-odor or off-flavors in a product may result in loss of consumer trust or a damaged brand reputation. In the worst cases, these issues can be dangerous. The first step in eliminating foreign material and off-odor or off-flavor risk is understanding the sources of contamination, including packaging and production issues and chemical and microbial contamination. This blog explains the benefits of foreign material, off-odor, and off-flavor analysis, the sources of contamination, and the tests available for testing.
Food fraud is a widespread and worldwide problem. Watch this video to learn more about which products are most frequently impacted, and how it can impact your business.
We recently hosted a webinar titled "GC-MS Techniques for Troubleshooting Off-Flavor, Off-Odor, and Flavor Scalping in Foods and Beverages Webinar." This Q&A with Dr. Jamie Willems provides a deeper look in to common questions associated with GC-MS, contaminant detection, and out capabilities at Eurofins.
Pathogen testing is a key part of product development. It can prevent foodborne outbreaks and protect consumers' health and brand reputation. Before developing a testing plan, it is important to understand how any why testing is conducted. This White Paper provides an overview of the types of pathogens to test for and the testing options at Eurofins.
Natural and synthetic food dyes are used in almost all industries. Understanding the potential for dye adulteration is critical to knowing how and why products are affected. Furthermore, testing with a third-party lab can lead to standardized product coloration and reliable ingredient claims. This White Paper introduces the types of food dyes, the benefits of testing, types of tests, and considerations for choosing a third-party lab.
When a product doesn't taste or smell right, it is a good indicator of contamination or packaging and processing issues. GCMS analysis is reliable method for finding the cause of off-odor or flavor and getting your products back to normal! This infographic provides an overview and a case study of how GCMS is used for off-odor and flavor analysis.
This webinar outlines the concept, design and execution of appropriate validation strategies and procedures intended to mitigate microbiological hazards in Low-Water Activity Foods. In the context of FDA regulations, low-water activity foods (LWAF) are those products with a water activity (aw) of less than 0.85. For many decades, these products were believed to present a low microbiological hazard risk. Various food related illness outbreaks, starting with a massive outbreak of salmonellosis due to peanut butter consumption in 2008-2009, raised awareness of the risk resulting from extended survival of pathogens in these products even in the absence of active growth. Original airdate August 23, 2022.
August 5, 2022, Eurofins Craft Technologies’ newly validated phenolic method will initially offer 16 analytes and will continue to expand based on market demands. The new offering covers the following hydroxybenzoic, cinnamic, and hydroxycinnamic acids. Read the full press release to learn more.
Learn about frequent causes of off-flavor, off-odor, and flavor scalping in packaged foods, beverages, and pet food products, including analytical techniques ranging from GCMS to ICP to LCMSMS for troubleshooting and detection, with a focus on SPME-GC-MS analysis. Learn how improper product packaging, production, or transportation issues can cause your product to be recalled. Factors that can negatively impact flavor and aroma. The analytical techniques range from GCMS to ICP to LCMSMS for troubleshooting and detection.
Food fraud can result in serious public health consequences and damage to your brand's reputation. Learn about products at risk for food fraud and steps you can take to protect your company.
