In this episode, Samantha Cieslinski interviews Dr. James Rogers, the Director of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports. They discuss various topics related to food safety, including the importance of food safety for children, Dr. Rogers' personal and professional journey, staying active and motivated, parenting and communication, and the challenges faced in ensuring food safety. Dr. Rogers emphasizes the need for open communication with children and the importance of seeking help when needed. He also highlights the challenges of funding food safety testing and the dynamic nature of the food industry. In this part of the conversation, James Rogers discusses the testing and evaluation process at Consumer Reports, highlighting the organization's focus on risk-based testing and the selection process for products. He also explains the role of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods in ensuring food safety from farm to table. Rogers emphasizes the importance of balancing consumer education without causing unnecessary panic and dispelling common misconceptions about food safety. Lastly, he discusses Consumer Reports' motivation for testing chocolate products for heavy metals and the response from the industry and consumers. In this conversation, Dr. James Rogers discusses the testing of chocolate for heavy metals, specifically cadmium and lead. The testing revealed that one-third of the chocolate products tested had worrisome levels of these heavy metals. Milk chocolate generally had lower levels compared to dark chocolate. The contamination of heavy metals in chocolate is associated with the cacao levels and the source of the chocolate beans. Dr. Rogers emphasizes the importance of moderation and informed choices when consuming chocolate, especially for children. He also mentions other food safety topics, such as plastics in food and heavy metals in spices.Consumer Reports -InstagramConsumer Reports - WebsiteA Third of Chocolate Products Are High in Heavy Metals, CR's Tests Findiwaspoisoned.comaskFSISThe Running Wine Mom - Instagram