With over 18 years leading food safety, quality assurance, and operational excellence across some of the most respected names in food manufacturing, Tiffany Donica knows what it takes to build a strong food safety culture. Before joining SafetyChain Software, she held leadership roles including Director of Quality and Continuous Improvement at Surlean Foods, Senior Manager of Food Safety & Quality Systems at CTI Foods, and QA Management at Epi Breads and Five Star Custom Foods.
Today, Tiffany helps manufacturers leverage technology to strengthen compliance, optimize performance, and move from reactive to preventive operations. In this Q&A, she shares how curiosity and data-driven leadership are transforming the way food and beverage companies protect their products and their people.
Curiosity & Leadership
Q: You’ve said curiosity and leadership go hand-in-hand in food safety. Can you share an example of when curiosity might have prevented a food safety incident?
Tiffany: Curiosity helps you uncover risks before they become incidents. Taking time to look for hidden bacteria harborage points or hard-to-clean areas during inspections can make all the difference. Swabbing behind and under equipment or checking tools and machinery periodically often reveals what checklists miss. When leaders encourage curiosity about the environment, not just checking boxes, that’s where prevention really begins.
Tiffany: Curiosity helps you uncover risks before they become incidents. Taking time to look for hidden bacteria harborage points or hard-to-clean areas during inspections can make all the difference. Swabbing behind and under equipment or checking tools and machinery periodically often reveals what checklists miss. When leaders encourage curiosity about the environment, not just checking boxes, that’s where prevention really begins.
Q: How could real-time monitoring or automated alerts help leaders act before issues escalate?
Tiffany: Automated alerts move teams from detection to prevention. If operators see real-time SPC data for weights or spec limits, they can adjust immediately before the product goes out of spec. It doesn’t stop every issue, but it dramatically reduces those within the plant’s control.
Tiffany: Automated alerts move teams from detection to prevention. If operators see real-time SPC data for weights or spec limits, they can adjust immediately before the product goes out of spec. It doesn’t stop every issue, but it dramatically reduces those within the plant’s control.
Swabathons & Sanitation Monitoring
Q: You mentioned swabathons and sanitation monitoring as crucial. What challenges do companies face in doing this consistently and effectively?
Tiffany: Swabathons are time-consuming, costly, and require follow-up, but they’re worth every effort. They should be done quarterly, across different seasons and times of day, not just after sanitation or pre-op. You need to see your environment under real operating conditions. That’s how you build confidence in your preventive programs.
Tiffany: Swabathons are time-consuming, costly, and require follow-up, but they’re worth every effort. They should be done quarterly, across different seasons and times of day, not just after sanitation or pre-op. You need to see your environment under real operating conditions. That’s how you build confidence in your preventive programs.
Q: What would be the impact if these results were automatically tracked and trended in one platform?
Tiffany: It would change everything. Automatically trending swab data helps you spot environmental or seasonal shifts, like condensation in the summer or recurring contamination points. You start seeing patterns instead of isolated events. When all data lives in one place, prevention becomes part of your daily rhythm.
Tiffany: It would change everything. Automatically trending swab data helps you spot environmental or seasonal shifts, like condensation in the summer or recurring contamination points. You start seeing patterns instead of isolated events. When all data lives in one place, prevention becomes part of your daily rhythm.
The Recall Example
Q: The recent Ding Dong recall showed how small mechanical issues can create big risks. Where do companies often miss the early warning signs?
Tiffany: It often starts with something small, like a loose bolt or worn seal, that collects debris over time. When maintenance, sanitation, and QA aren’t aligned, those signs get missed. The warning signs are there; we just have to slow down enough to see them.
Tiffany: It often starts with something small, like a loose bolt or worn seal, that collects debris over time. When maintenance, sanitation, and QA aren’t aligned, those signs get missed. The warning signs are there; we just have to slow down enough to see them.
Q: How could automated maintenance records and sanitation checks reduce these blind spots?
Tiffany: Automation bridges communication gaps. When maintenance and sanitation records are connected digitally, you see trends like “this equipment always fails after lubrication.” Instead of relying on memory or paper logs, leaders can spot and fix root causes early.
Tiffany: Automation bridges communication gaps. When maintenance and sanitation records are connected digitally, you see trends like “this equipment always fails after lubrication.” Instead of relying on memory or paper logs, leaders can spot and fix root causes early.
Data-Driven Leadership
Q: From your perspective, what separates food-safety-minded leaders from those who take a ‘check-the-box’ approach?
Tiffany: The difference is curiosity and accountability. True food-safety leaders want to understand why something passed or failed. They connect data, behavior, and outcomes. When I was in industry, every leader was required to observe sanitation and pre-op on rotation. This brought “fresh eyes” and built ownership across departments.
Tiffany: The difference is curiosity and accountability. True food-safety leaders want to understand why something passed or failed. They connect data, behavior, and outcomes. When I was in industry, every leader was required to observe sanitation and pre-op on rotation. This brought “fresh eyes” and built ownership across departments.
Q: How does having centralized, real-time data shift leaders into a prevention mindset?
Tiffany: Real-time visibility changes everything. Leaders stop managing from behind and start anticipating. Transparent data builds accountability; there’s nowhere to hide, only opportunities to improve.
Tiffany: Real-time visibility changes everything. Leaders stop managing from behind and start anticipating. Transparent data builds accountability; there’s nowhere to hide, only opportunities to improve.
Bridging Communication Gaps
Q: When sanitation teams, QA, and leadership aren’t aligned, what risks arise?
Tiffany: That’s when cracks show. Miscommunication leads to duplicated work, confusion, and missed prevention opportunities. QA assumes sanitation handled it, sanitation assumes maintenance did, and no one owns it.
Tiffany: That’s when cracks show. Miscommunication leads to duplicated work, confusion, and missed prevention opportunities. QA assumes sanitation handled it, sanitation assumes maintenance did, and no one owns it.
Q: What role could a shared digital platform play in breaking down those silos?
Tiffany: A shared platform becomes the single source of truth. Everyone sees the same data, alerts, and trends. It eliminates the “he said, she said” dynamic and replaces it with shared accountability.
Tiffany: A shared platform becomes the single source of truth. Everyone sees the same data, alerts, and trends. It eliminates the “he said, she said” dynamic and replaces it with shared accountability.
Reducing Human Error Through Automation
Q: How much of a factor is human error in sanitation checks and monitoring?
Tiffany: It’s always a factor. People get tired, distracted, or rushed on tight production schedules. It’s not about effort, it’s about relying too heavily on manual checks.
Tiffany: It’s always a factor. People get tired, distracted, or rushed on tight production schedules. It’s not about effort, it’s about relying too heavily on manual checks.
Q: What happens when data collection is automated so nothing falls through the cracks?
Tiffany: Automation ensures consistency and accuracy. It doesn’t replace people, it empowers them. Teams spend less time on paperwork and more time improving processes.
Tiffany: Automation ensures consistency and accuracy. It doesn’t replace people, it empowers them. Teams spend less time on paperwork and more time improving processes.
Proactive vs. Reactive Mindsets
Q: How do proactive and reactive companies differ in their approach to sanitation?
Tiffany: Proactive companies view sanitation as part of production, not an afterthought. They invest in people, time, and technology upfront. Reactive companies wait until a problem hits, and by then, it’s already costly. Prevention isn’t glamorous, but it’s what keeps the line running.
Tiffany: Proactive companies view sanitation as part of production, not an afterthought. They invest in people, time, and technology upfront. Reactive companies wait until a problem hits, and by then, it’s already costly. Prevention isn’t glamorous, but it’s what keeps the line running.
Q: How could automated trend analysis help predict risks before they happen?
Tiffany: Trend analysis connects the dots humans might miss. If you’re tracking failures over time, you can see patterns, like recurring hot spots or seasonal spikes, and act before they escalate. It turns your data into an early warning system.
Tiffany: Trend analysis connects the dots humans might miss. If you’re tracking failures over time, you can see patterns, like recurring hot spots or seasonal spikes, and act before they escalate. It turns your data into an early warning system.
Leadership Accountability
Q: What role should leadership play in holding teams accountable for sanitation and food safety monitoring?
Tiffany: Accountability starts at the top. If leadership doesn’t model it, it won’t stick. It’s not about blame, it’s about setting expectations and showing that food safety is non-negotiable.
Tiffany: Accountability starts at the top. If leadership doesn’t model it, it won’t stick. It’s not about blame, it’s about setting expectations and showing that food safety is non-negotiable.
Q: How do dashboards and audit-ready records change accountability dynamics?
Tiffany: Dashboards make performance visible. When trends and results are on screen, leaders can’t ignore them. It shifts the conversation from “Did we do it?” to “How can we do it better?” and makes audits smoother across the board.
Tiffany: Dashboards make performance visible. When trends and results are on screen, leaders can’t ignore them. It shifts the conversation from “Did we do it?” to “How can we do it better?” and makes audits smoother across the board.
Employee Engagement & Empowerment
Q: How do front-line employees respond when leadership shows genuine curiosity and prioritizes food safety?
Tiffany: Employees notice when leadership cares. It builds pride and ownership and they see their work matters. That connection fuels stronger engagement.
Tiffany: Employees notice when leadership cares. It builds pride and ownership and they see their work matters. That connection fuels stronger engagement.
Q: How could mobile-friendly tools help employees feel more empowered in reporting and monitoring?
Tiffany: Mobile tools make it easy for employees to act in real time. No clipboards or delays, just fast, accurate communication. When their input leads to action, it reinforces that their voice matters.
Tiffany: Mobile tools make it easy for employees to act in real time. No clipboards or delays, just fast, accurate communication. When their input leads to action, it reinforces that their voice matters.
The Future of Food Safety Leadership
Q: What do you think food-safety-minded leadership will look like in the next 5–10 years?
Tiffany: Future leaders will be both tech-savvy and people-focused. They’ll combine automation and data with on-the-floor engagement. It’s not just about compliance, it’s about resilience. AI will help leaders predict risks by analyzing trends humans can’t see, turning insight into foresight.
Tiffany: Future leaders will be both tech-savvy and people-focused. They’ll combine automation and data with on-the-floor engagement. It’s not just about compliance, it’s about resilience. AI will help leaders predict risks by analyzing trends humans can’t see, turning insight into foresight.
Q: What role will technology and automation play in shaping that future?
Tiffany: Technology will be the backbone, but people will remain the heart. Automation ensures consistency, while AI drives smarter decisions. Together, they’ll move food safety from reacting to predicting, and that’s a game changer.
Tiffany: Technology will be the backbone, but people will remain the heart. Automation ensures consistency, while AI drives smarter decisions. Together, they’ll move food safety from reacting to predicting, and that’s a game changer.
