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OAKWOOD, GA (September 17, 2025) <\/strong>\u2013<\/p>\n At Wayne-Sanderson Farms, our most important responsibility is providing safe and delicious chicken to families around the world. Every product we prepare reflects a promise to uphold the highest standards of food safety and quality from farm to fork.<\/p>\n That promise is carried out each day by our food safety and quality professionals, whose work goes beyond compliance to combine innovation, science, and consumer education. Their dedication delivers trust in every bite.<\/p>\n In recognition of National Food Safety Month, and in collaboration with the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE), we are proud to spotlight three members of our corporate food safety leadership team. These leaders set the tone for rigor and innovation across our company, upholding every process to reflect the highest standards of excellence.<\/p>\n The Science Behind Safe Chicken<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. Jonathan James Dr. Jonathan James has always viewed food safety through the lens of public health. While earning a master\u2019s degree in veterinary medical sciences with a focus on poultry, he was drawn to the responsibility veterinarians hold to uphold public health. That sense of responsibility convinced him that food safety was a way to make a direct impact on families every day.<\/p>\n Today, as Senior Director of Food Safety & Lab Services at Wayne-Sanderson Farms, Jonathan leads the company\u2019s corporate laboratory team. His group conducts microbiology and chemistry testing that provides the data needed to confirm food safety systems are working at every processing facility. \u201cOur lab work is about verifying that our programs are working as intended,\u201d Jonathan explained. \u201cThrough testing, we confirm that plants are processing birds in the cleanest, safest way possible and maintaining sanitary conditions throughout the plant.\u201d<\/p>\n But the work does not end with producing lab results. Jonathan is committed to ensuring that data is translated into action. Under his leadership, the lab evaluates results from across Wayne-Sanderson Farms\u2019 operations. By testing for bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter and monitoring microbial loads, the team provides insights that plants can use to refine food safety plans, strengthen sanitation programs, and improve daily practices. \u201cThe data itself has to be unquestioned,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is why we put the right people in place and make sure they have the right procedures to run. When those results come out, we can have full confidence in making our decisions based on them.\u201d<\/p>\n Jonathan also takes pride in making science accessible for operations. He sees it as his responsibility to turn technical findings into clear information complex leaders can use to improve performance. For him, success means giving operations the right tools to succeed. \u201cIf we have given the plants the right tools, the right data, and the right programs, then we have done our job,\u201d he said. \u201cA successful plant means my department was successful.\u201d<\/p>\n For Jonathan, the work is about more than testing samples in a lab. It is about building trust \u2014 in the plants that rely on his team\u2019s data, in the families who depend on safe food, and in an industry that must move forward together. His leadership reflects Wayne-Sanderson Farms\u2019 commitment to progress through science and collaboration, keeping food safety at the core of everything the company does.<\/p>\n Fighting Bacteria Without Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n Kerry Fohner Kerry Fohner has spent more than 25 years in poultry quality assurance, but her path into food safety began in a different place: breast cancer research. That early experience sharpened her focus on science and data, tools she continues to rely on today as Senior Director of Quality & Food Safety for Prepared Foods. At the Decatur, Alabama, and Flowood, Mississippi plants, she oversees a team of professionals who safeguard every step of production, from incoming ingredients to finished chicken products bound for store shelves and restaurants around the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat drives me is the challenge of using data to determine next steps,\u201d Kerry said. \u201cFood safety requires the same discipline, looking at the evidence and building solutions around it.\u201d<\/p>\n When she first transitioned into Prepared Foods, Kerry admits she was hesitant. \u201cI once told an auditor I would never work in prepared foods because of the challenges with Listeria,\u201d she recalled. Those challenges remain, but today she sees them as motivation. \u201cWhat I have learned is the best way to fight bacteria is to have good plans in place.\u201d<\/p>\n Her approach is rooted in both prevention and agility. Kerry often compares food safety to football, where both offense and defense are critical. \u201cYou need a strong offense, with plans based on science and good data, and you need a defense, ready to react quickly when conditions change,\u201d she explained. \u201cBacteria adapts, so our strategies have to evolve too.\u201d<\/p>\n Kerry oversees a team of complex QA leaders who check every step of the process and meet weekly with sanitation, maintenance, production, purchasing, and other departments to review microbial data and agree on solutions. For her, continuous improvement is about making systems easier and more reliable for the people who run them. \u201cA lot of times when you have a gap, it is not because somebody intentionally did something wrong, it is because we did not have the best way of doing it for them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That mindset drives her philosophy of being proactive rather than reactive. \u201cWe strive to be proactive and innovative, using data to stay ahead rather than reacting after the fact,\u201d Kerry noted. She believes this approach helps keep risks low and makes food safety a habit, not just a requirement.<\/p>\n For Kerry, the work is deeply personal. \u201cWe take pride in what we produce. Our own families eat this food too,\u201d she said. She also stresses the importance of consumer education, since many food safety risks occur in restaurants or home kitchens. \u201cEducation is critical,\u201d Kerry emphasized. \u201cThe more families know, the safer we all are.\u201d<\/p>\n Kerry\u2019s leadership shows how the toughest challenges can also inspire the strongest solutions. By combining science with practical problem-solving, she has built a culture of food safety in Prepared Foods that is proactive, collaborative, and personal.<\/p>\n How Regulatory Management Moves the Needle in Food Safety Billy Erp As Senior Director of QA Systems & Regulatory Affairs, Billy Erp leads the teams responsible for the details that connect food safety to consumer trust. From product labels to regulatory compliance, his work ensures that every promise printed on a package reflects the highest standards of accuracy and care. \u201cThe labels consumers see on our products are a direct result of the work we do,\u201d he explained. \u201cFrom the net weight and USDA mark to the way ingredients are named and allergens are declared, everything has to be accurate and consistent. That accuracy is essential to consumer confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Billy has spent his career ensuring that confidence holds strong. His team manages the details families rarely see but depend on every day: creating ingredient statements, verifying allergen declarations, and preparing the documentation that customers request. Just as importantly, they manage the behind-the-scenes data systems that tie quality information from every plant into a single picture. \u201cWe collect all of the data that QA techs produce in the plants and analyze it to help us understand where we are and where we have been,\u201d Billy said.<\/p>\n That focus on data allows Billy\u2019s group to act before problems arise. Compliance, in his view, is the floor, not the ceiling. \u201cThere is a minimum we have to meet, but we do not want to stop there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to anticipate changes and be ready before new rules take effect.\u201d His team demonstrated that approach when sesame was added as a major allergen in 2024, adjusting labels across all affected products well ahead of deadlines. They are now preparing for upcoming \u201cProduct of the USA\u201d standards, ensuring multi-ingredient products meet sourcing requirements before they become mandatory in 2026.<\/p>\n Data dashboards make this readiness practical. By compiling complaints, food safety opportunities, and complex QA results into real-time views, Billy\u2019s group provides an early-warning system for managers.<\/p>\n Billy sees his work as part of a larger responsibility. \u201cAs an industry, there are no secrets when it comes to food safety,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we share what we can to make sure we are all producing safe food, together.\u201d<\/p>\n For Billy, regulatory management is not paperwork. It is the foundation that keeps consumers\u2019 trust intact, detail by detail, label by label, system by system. His work reflects Wayne-Sanderson Farms\u2019 broader commitment to integrity and accountability, ensuring that families can have confidence in the chicken they bring home every day.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n This National Food Safety Education Month, we are proud to celebrate the individuals whose dedication protects our products and strengthens the trust families place in us, reflecting our shared commitment to responsibility, innovation, and consumer confidence.<\/p>\n About Wayne-Sanderson Farms<\/strong><\/p>\n Wayne-Sanderson Farms is an industry leader and the nation\u2019s third-largest poultry producer, serving customers, consumers and communities with integrity, leadership and responsible farm, workplace and business practices. With a diverse portfolio of products, a strong operating culture and an industry-leading workforce of more than 27,000 people and over 2,000 farm partners, Wayne-Sanderson Farms owns and operates 24 fresh and further-processing facilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas. Wayne-Sanderson Farms produces affordable, high-quality poultry products for retail, foodservice, restaurant, industrial and institutional segments under the brand names of SANDERSON FARMS\u00ae COVINGTON FARMS\u00ae, NAKED TRUTH\u00ae, BUFFALOOS\u00ae, FLY\u2019N SAUCERS\u00ae, CRISPY FLIERS\u00ae, PLATINUM HARVEST\u00ae, CHEF\u2019S CRAFT\u00ae, WAYNE FARMS\u00ae, and WAYNE-SANDERSON FARMS\u00ae. Wayne-Sanderson Farms is proud to be the \u201cOfficial Chicken of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).\u201d For more information, visit WayneSandersonFarms.com<\/a> or follow Wayne-Sanderson Farms on LinkedIn<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, X (Twitter)<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OAKWOOD, GA (September 17, 2025) \u2013 At Wayne-Sanderson Farms, our most important responsibility is providing safe and delicious chicken to families around the world. Every product we prepare reflects a promise to uphold the highest standards of food safety and quality from farm to fork. That promise is carried out each day by our food […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2994,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brand","category-company"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/waynesandersonfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Jonathan-James-3.23-199x300.jpg\")
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\n<\/strong>Senior Director, Food Safety & Lab Services<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/waynesandersonfarms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Kerry-Fohner-3.23-199x300.jpg\")
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\nSenior Director, Quality & Food Safety \u2013 Prepared Foods<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n<\/strong>Senior Director, QA Systems & Regulatory Affairs<\/p>\n