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Behind Clean Lines

Behind Clean Lines

Written by: NGI A/S
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About this listen

 Behind Clean Lines is your go-to medium for insights into hygienic manufacturing, innovation, and design.

You'll find expert knowledge on the design process, the strategic drivers, and mind set it takes to push innovation in manufacturing for food and beverage industries forward.

The topics we'll discuss include:
  • Strategic Growth Drivers in Hygienic Manufacturing
  • The Role of Collaboration in Innovation for the Food Industry
  • Product optimization with Hygienic Design
  • ... and much more.

This podcast is brought to you by NGI.

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This podcast is produced by Montanus.NGI A/S Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 19: Food Safety on Trial – The Legal Side of Contamination

    19: Food Safety on Trial – The Legal Side of Contamination
    Oct 15 2025
    Could your food company be tomorrow’s headline for all the wrong reasons?

    Food poisening can be a devastating for the consumer. And for the food company involved, it too comes with high costs: It will damage reputation, shut down lines, trigger recalls, and put entire businesses at risk.

    In this episode of Behind Clean Lines, food safety attorney Bill Marler shares three decades of experience from the front lines of outbreaks.

    He’s seen how E. coli in hamburgers, listeria in ice cream, and unpasteurized juice ended up in courtrooms - and why the warning signs were visible long before disaster struck.

    For food manufacturers, the message is clear: regulators may not catch every risk. That responsibility falls on your processes, your supply chains, and your culture.

    In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

    1. The weak spots in production where contamination typically begins.
    2. Why supplier practices can make or break your food safety strategy.
    3. How genome sequencing is changing traceability and liability.
    4. Where contracts and documentation protect you (or leave you exposed).

    Episode Content
    00:08 Introduction to foodborne illness lawyer, Bill Marler
    01:10 Process after a food contamination case reported
    04:48 Current statistics on foodborne illnesses in America
    06:43 Tracing pathogens: The outbreak investigation process
    09:20 Role of CDC and genetic fingerprinting in food safety
    12:25 Manufacturer liability in food contamination cases
    15:40 Importance of supplier relationships in food safety
    23:42 Food safety culture: Engaging professionals in prevention
    28:12 The moral vs. PR dilemma in food safety
    30:41 Recommendations for manufacturers to enhance safety
    34:31 Current battles against public health challenges

    This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
    This podcast is produced by Montanus.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • 18: How to Turn Hygiene Into Profits – The Business Case of Easy Cleaning

    18: How to Turn Hygiene Into Profits – The Business Case of Easy Cleaning
    Aug 20 2025
    Is hygienic design just another line on your to-do list, or the overlooked key to avoiding production nightmares?

    In this episode of Behind Clean Lines, we talk with Jennifer Crandall, CEO of Safe Food En Route. With over 20 years in the food industry, she’s seen what happens when manufacturers treat hygienic design as an afterthought.

    Spoiler: it gets expensive, fast.

    We get straight to the point – how early design decisions impact everything from contamination risks to your next downtime crisis (and your profit margins, of course).
    If you're in food manufacturing, this one’s worth your time. Give it a listen. It might save you more than just money.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:
    1. Building a business case for hygienic design in food production.
    2. Financial risks of neglecting hygienic design from the start.
    3. Impact of design on product safety and market deadlines.
    4. Importance of involving experienced food safety experts early.
    5. Long-term benefits of strategic investment in hygienic construction.

    Episode Content
    00:08 Introduction to Hygienic Design with Jennifer Crandall
    01:07 The Importance of Early Hygienic Design Decisions
    02:42 How Poor Design Leads to Costly Redesigns
    05:20 The Role of Food Safety in Company Culture
    07:58 Encouraging Investor Awareness on Hygienic Design
    10:12 Avoiding Redesign: Real-World Cost Examples
    12:30 Understanding Purchasability in Food Safety Context
    15:50 The Impact of Accumulative Costs on Operations
    20:10 Key Factors in Food Safety Due Diligence
    24:29 Investigating Accumulative Costs through Environmental Monitoring
    29:15 Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Companies
    32:42 Final Advice: Engage Experienced Food Safety Professionals

    Production
    This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
    This podcast is produced by Montanus.


    This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
    This podcast is produced by Montanus.
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • 17: Battling Biofilm – Strategies and challenges in food industry hygiene

    17: Battling Biofilm – Strategies and challenges in food industry hygiene
    Jun 12 2025
    Biofilm might sound harmless, but for food manufacturers, it’s a hidden threat that can take a serious toll on hygiene standards – and on your bottom line. Left unchecked, it risks production downtime, costly recalls, and long-term damage to your reputation.

    In this episode of ‘Behind Clean Lines’, Mikkel Svold is again joined by Debra Smith, a global hygiene expert and biologist at Vikan. Together, they cut through the jargon and get straight to the practical advice on tackling biofilm;
    • What it is
    • Why it’s a challenge and most importantly,
    • What you can do about it.

    Deb shares real-world tips, from getting your engineering and hygiene teams on the same page, to using smarter cleaning tools and detergents that actually work.

    If food safety and protecting your operations matter to you, this episode is worth your time. Give it a listen, and take away ideas you can act on today.

    In this episode, you'll learn about:

    1. Differences between biofilms and single-celled microbes in cleaning.
    2. Effective cleaning methods for combating biofilms in food factories.
    3. Importance of validated cleaning and disinfection protocols.
    4. Role of a cross-functional task force in biofilm management.
    5. Emerging technologies for improved biofilm control.
    6. Strategies for nurturing a strong food safety culture.

    Episode Content

    00:09 Introduction to the episode and guest, Deb Smith
    00:53 Key differences between biofilm and single-celled microbes
    01:45 Effective cleaning and disinfection methods for biofilm
    04:10 The concept and importance of a joint task force
    07:06 Common contradictions in hygiene and engineering teams
    10:49 Emerging technologies for biofilm management in food industry
    12:23 First steps for implementing better hygienic practices
    14:04 Challenges of instilling a strong food safety culture

    Production
    This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
    This podcast is produced by Montanus.


    This podcast is brought to you by NGI A/S.
    This podcast is produced by Montanus.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
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