Food Safety Foundation: Developing a Risk-Based Supplier Approval Program

Presented by Dr Susan Moyers and Tim Lombardo

April 2, 2026 | 1:00 PM ET

A risk-based supplier approval program is essential not only for ensuring the safety of the ingredients and packaging materials used in your facility, but also for ensuring the safety, quality and traceability of your products. Carefully evaluating supplier risk also protects your business from supply chain failure and financial jeopardy in an increasingly global ingredient marketplace. A risk-based approach involves a systematic approach to evaluating suppliers based on the nature of the ingredient as well as the supplier. It ensures that only reliable suppliers are used and that their ingredients and materials are safe, thus reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses, product recall, and other regulatory enforcement.

In this webinar, we will review the components of a risk-based supplier approval program to include (1) conducting a risk assessment, (2) conducting supplier verification, (3) ensuring adequate and proper documentation, and (4) implementing continuous improvement. Additionally, we will review supplier approval program requirements of the FDA and USDA and how these regulations compare some common 3^rd party certification audit standards.

About the Presenter

Susan Moyers, Ph.D., MPH

EAS Consulting Group Independent Consultant

EAS Independent Consultant, Susan Moyers, PhD, MPH, is a Food Industry professional with over 20 years of experience in developing, training and auditing food safety, quality, and dietary supplement management systems. She consults with facilities to develop programs and implement the BRC and SQF programs, as well as FDA’s Dietary Supplement cGMP, Preventive Controls, and Foreign Supplier standards. She also investigates and assists in resolving microbiological spoilage and food safety issues.

Dr. Moyers is an SQF Certified Consultant and Trainer; a Lead Trainer for FDA’s Preventive Controls and Foreign Supplier Programs, and a consultant, auditor, and trainer for Dietary Supplement cGMPs and HACCP systems.

Her experience covers a broad range of activities, with food safety, nutrition quality, and the safety and quality of dietary supplements being her specialties. Dr. Moyers has provided services to over 500 facilities, including processing plants, supermarkets, restaurants, food packaging firms, and dietary supplement manufacturers. She has conducted hundreds of training sessions.

Dr. Moyers holds a Ph.D. degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Florida, a Masters of Public Health degree from the University of South Florida, and is a Licensed Dietician. Dr. Moyers has held faculty teaching and research positions at the University of Florida, University of South Florida, and University of Tampa. She is the author of two books and 15 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals.

Tim Lombardo

Senior Director for Food Consulting Services

Tim is a widely regarded expert in food safety and microbiology with over 25 years of direct experience leading these programs at a variety of manufacturing facilities. Tim’s direct experience includes dairy, infant formula, baked goods, nuts and nut products, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, spices, color flavors and other ingredients and many others. He is a Lead Instructor through the Food Safety and Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA) in Preventive Controls for both Human and Animal Foods, is certified in Thermal / Aseptic Processing and Sterilization through the Better Process Control School and is a Lead Instructor for the HACCP Controls Alliance.

Prior to joining EAS, Mr. Lombardo was the Lead Staff Scientist at Eurofins where he oversaw microbiological harborage site investigations, facilitated Food Safety plan development and validation including Food Security, Food Defense/Intentional Adulteration and Food Fraud Plan Development. He also spent 17 years at Leprino Foods Company, in roles of increasing responsibility, culminating as the Corporate Manager of Sanitation where he provided corporate sanitation leadership and guidance to ten cheese and dairy ingredient manufacturing facilities, three of which manufactured infant formula ingredients. Additionally, he had responsibility for the firm’s Food Safety/Quality Systems including GMPs, HACCP, Environmental Monitoring, Pest Control, Foreign Material Control, Traceability, and Ingredient Monitoring at various plants.

Mr. Lombardo is a published author and international speaker. He is a member of the Institute for Food Technology (IFT), the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) and is a member of the US Hemp Authority Technical Committee. He is also a combat Veteran, having served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.