Darin and Gennette debrief recent events, talk Poisoned, lapdogs in restaurants, and going viral (not the pathogen kind). Plus, a military vet turned food safety pro reminds us why speaking up matters even if it makes you the a**hole.

In Episode 05 of Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole, Gennette flips the script and interviews co-host Dr. Darin Detwiler about Silent Enemies, his serialized story tracing the eerie parallels between life on a nuclear submarine and the hidden dangers of food safety failures. It’s part memoir, part moral map, and a reflection on what it means to act before the invisible becomes irreversible.

In Episode 04 of Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole, Gennette Zimmer and Dr. Darin Detwiler open with a check-in and an invitation behind the scenes. They reflect on what it means to be four episodes in, the surprising ways listeners are responding, and the purpose that keeps them showing up (even when things go off script). The conversation flows into a thoughtful unpacking of their “Four A’s” framework: awareness, allies, advocacy, and activism. Darin shares a personal moment of wrestling with the limits of his own advocacy, while Gennette brings it back to a long drive where the whole framework took shape. It's reflective, warm, and full of the kind of transparency that sets the tone for the episode’s deeper theme: seeing what usually stays hidden. Then comes a detour featuring an unlikely discussion with early 20th-century activist and journalist Olive Christian Malvery. Our hosts uncover her experiences finding the disturbing practices of how food was produced in England 1906. Malvery shines a light on the persistent gaps between image and reality in food safety, and asks what it really takes to make a system transparent, accountable, and safe. It’s part satire, part history lesson, and all heart. The episode closes with Gennette and Darin getting their boots literally dirty on a field trip to produce farms, a composting business, and a packaging/shipping facility. They talk with the people who are doing food safety not just by the book, but by conviction. It’s a look at the systems that work quietly, often invisibly, to keep food safe and the people who believe transparency is worth the extra work. This episode moves from podcast reflection to performance to produce fields. Along the way, they ask: What does it mean to go behind the curtain and beyond awareness? Links of note: Food Safety Education Month link: https://www.pepnexus.com/blog/categories/food-safety-education-month Silent Enemies Part 1: https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/255304/silent-enemies-part-1-under-pressure/ Silent Enemies Part 2: https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/article/255304/silent-enemies-part-1-under-pressure/ Olive Christian Malvery - The Soul Market (Read for free): https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Soul_Market/52NGAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1

In this third episode of Confessions of a Food Safety A**Hole, Darin and Gennette reflect on the ten year anniversary of the PCA landmark conviction and interview their first guest about Global Glove Safety Day on September 18, 2025 and the importance of quality gloves for food safety.

What do un-refrigerated lunch meat, food safety conferences, and unexpected recognition from comedians have in common? In Episode 02, Gennette Zimmer and Dr. Darin Detwiler unpack what it means to build a legacy in a field most people ignore—until they can’t. This one’s about voice, memory, and why being called a “food safety a**hole” might be more compliment than insult.

In this kickoff episode, Gennette Zimmer and Dr. Darin Detwiler pull back the curtain on what it really means to be a “food safety a-hole”—and why that label, while uncomfortable, might actually be a badge of honor.