Food Protection Trends - July/August 2022 - 321

BEYOND the BIO
priceless, " Jespersen said. " When I started
my food safety degrees and then again with
Cultivate, both my husband and brother were
there to encourage me. I've been blessed
with a fantastic network of people in the food
industry and a variety of pathways I could
take after Maple Leaf. I know this is where I'm
supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to
do. I'm privileged to have this opportunity. "
One of her major work projects, Cultivate
Pulse, focuses on utilizing technology platforms
to engage front-line food production
employees in food safety culture. Jespersen
said this work is pivotal to her overall research
because it presents challenges of how to best
reach a front-line worker in an environment
that may not be conducive to learning or is
even adaptable to different cultures.
" I don't think we can change attitudes and
practices around food safety unless we get to
the front-line worker, " Jespersen said. " We're
partnering with an UK university and also
trying a method with 10 companies to utilize
technology, essentially a kiosk and tablet set up,
to interact with the workers. We're anxious to
see how this changes how they give feedback
and respond to messages. And feel they have a
say in what the business does for food safety. "
Here's how Cultivate Pulse works:
* Front-line workers visit a kiosk with a
tablet or access a QR code on their own
device. Each person is asked one question
each day related to food safety, which
includes the ability for the questions to
be presented in multiple languages. There
are 400+ food safety questions to choose
from, all structured around the model
of Jespersen's Ph.D. research. There's an
algorithm running in the background to
dictate the next question that will be given
to the employee the next day, based upon
how they answer the current question.
* On a weekly basis, a report is given
to company leadership based on the
answers front-line employees are
providing each day. This granular level
of reporting helps leaders identify gaps
in knowledge or attitudes related to food
safety practices.
" For those who choose to make a difference
about food safety culture, this will become a
big tool, " Jespersen said. " I see the difference
in conversations these teams are having
about food safety because of this tool and
the learning they take away from it. For food
safety practices to become embedded in the
organization, it has to be a whole company
culture thing. "
When Jespersen thinks about where her
career in Automotive system management and
engineering was and, through tragedy, where
it is today leading Cultivate, she is nothing
short of amazed.
" It's like I woke up one day and realized
managing systems didn't work for me, " Jespersen
said. " My personality and what motivates me
is not a big organization - I've been there, I've
worked in that. Rather, it's one where I get to
create, add immediate value ... it's exactly what
I get to do with our Cultivate team every day.
We're not there to just create a binder of best
practices for an organization. We're there to help
them change their culture. They all have one, but
we help them understand and change it. I wake
up with a smile on my face, work hard with a
great team and help learn something new every
day from the team and our great clients.
Jespersen said safe food is a basic human
right, and one she is passionate about
honoring. Among her top-of-mind statistics
are alarming numbers that speak to the
prevalence of foodborne illness in our daily
lives. She said that every second, 20 people
around the world become sick from their food
source. Additionally, 420,000 die each year
from eating unsafe food.
" We all have to eat and we are reliant
upon others who are growing, producing,
packaging, and serving our food to do so in a
safe manner, Jespersen said. " Food safety is a
global business and companies need to start
seeing it as everyone's job to ensure food is
safe for our consumers. It's a human right. "
When Jespersen thinks about the future
of global food safety, she is encouraged at the
strides some companies are making to their
food safety management systems. As those in
quality assurance, microbiology and the social
sciences bring their work together, Jespersen
noted there are three categories businesses will
find themselves in, as it relates to food safety:
those who never " get it " and produce food
products that make people sick; companies
in the middle will make changes eventually,
for the betterment of the consumer; and
then there will front runners who are already
going the extra mile in food safety to benefit
stakeholders and consumers.
" You could call it a quest, really, " Jespersen
said. " I've had to sit and talk and listen to
families who have lost someone in their family
as a result of a food safety incident. I, and
many of my colleagues, realize that when we
combine social science and food science, we
can start to put a serious dent in the statistics.
It's something that will take time to improve,
but it will happen. "
Q: TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP IN DENMARK - WHAT MEMORIES STAND OUT TO YOU?
A: You know, I think I'm still trying to grow up, but I was born in Denmark, then moved
around with my family. I have a thirst for experiencing and learning from different countries
and culture. I always wanted to explore life beyond Denmark and I'm grateful I got to do
that growing up, with my husband, Jakob and then in my professional career as well.
Q: YOU SAID YOUR FAMILY IS " VERY DANISH " - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
A: Well, to be Danish is to be very direct in your words. It's a sign of a compliment though because
people are taking the time to let you know what you need to do to improve something.
But other cultures don't always see it that way. Being direct can be interpreted as rude.
Q: DID YOU CONSIDER CAREERS OTHER THAN ENGINEERING?
A: Absolutely. My interest in science developed later in life. I always thought I wanted to be a
veterinarian. I was very involved with riding and showing horses, so much so that at age 15,
I left home to compete and earn money. This fed right into my desire to work with animals
as a career. Then I did a vet internship, and it was so physically demanding. At the time, in
Denmark, it wasn't a field where women succeeded.
Q: WHO DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR CHAMPIONS? WHO IS CHEERING FOR LONE?
A: It would have to be my mother, Kirsten, my husband, and my brother, Henrik. Henrik is three
years older than I am and my best friend. We have opposite personalities but complement
each other well. Jakob is the love of my life. He is an engineer for a U.S. microchip company,
and we've been able to build a wonderful life of travel, experiences and hobbies. Some of our
favorite things to do are go skiing and cross country running. I couldn't have done many of the
things in my life without the support of my family. It really does go to show just how much
a person needs their support network to get through the highs and lows.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY FURRY FRIENDS AT HOME?
A: Yes! We have one cat, Oskar, who is the most spoiled cat in the world.
July/August Food Protection Trends 321

Food Protection Trends - July/August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - July/August 2022