Dr. Ben Chapman is a professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University. As a teenager, a Saturday afternoon viewing of the classic cable movie, Outbreak, sparked his interest in pathogens and public health. With the goal of less foodborne illness, his group designs, implements, and evaluates food safety strategies, messages, and media from farm-to-fork. Through reality-based research, Chapman investigates behaviors and creates interventions aimed at amateur and professional food handlers, managers, and organizational decision-makers; the gatekeepers of safe food. Ben co-hosts a bi-weekly podcast called Food Safety Talk and tries to further engage folks online through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and, maybe not surprisingly, Pinterest. Follow on Twitter @benjaminchapman.

Programs and Initiatives

• Food safety infosheets, one-page food safety-related information directed at food handlers
• Food safety culture program at North Carolina State University
• Master food volunteer program

Selected Publications

• Chapman, B., Raymond, B. and Powell, D. 2014. Potential of social media as a tool to combat foodborne illness. Perspectives in Public Health. 134 (4). 225-230.
• Chapman, B., MacLaurin, T., and Powell, D. 2010. Food safety infosheets: Design and refinement of a narrative-based training intervention. British Food Journal, 113(2).

Contributing Websites

• www.foodsafetytalk.com
• www.barfblog.com