Who We Are and What We Do
Professional Profile - Brian Shawn Eblen
Brian Shawn Eblen is co-owner and Principal Scientist at RD Food Safety Consulting, bringing 35 years of research and problem-solving experience to the food industry, with prior scientific roles at USDA and FDA. He has served as an FDA subject matter expert for facility inspections, with specialized work supporting the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and the U.S. Food Code. He helps food, beverage and cosmetic companies identify problematic safety and quality practices, strengthen food safety systems, and implement practical solutions in manufacturing environments. His services include regulatory compliance support, responses to FDA 483 observations and warning letters, root-cause analysis for contamination events and product failures, and development of microbial shelf-life and challenge studies.
He is a member of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP).
Services Provided
- Due diligence inspections for acquisitions/GFSI Compliance
- Root cause analysis investigations
- Incident response/product disposition
- Shelf-life and challenge study design
- Litigation support
Education
MS in Microbiology
Drexel University
BS in Microbiology
Auburn University
Professional Profile - Denise Eblen
Denise R Eblen is co-owner and Principal Scientist at RD Food Safety Consulting. She brings senior strategic expertise in food safety, regulatory compliance, and public-sector leadership, shaped by more than 25 years at USDA. She served as Administrator of USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, where she led more than 8,000 employees safeguarding the nation’s meat, poultry, and egg products. She helps food, beverage, agriculture, and manufacturing organizations anticipate risk, address FDA and USDA compliance challenges, respond to enforcement actions, and strengthen safety and quality systems through science-driven, data-informed solutions. At RD Food Safety Consulting, she develops practical, strategic approaches that support due diligence, investigations, incident response, litigation support, and broader engagement across government and global food systems.
She is a member of the International Association for Food Protection.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Major: Food Safety Microbiology
Interned for one year at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (Wyndmoor, PA)
Master of Science
Queen’s University, Northern Ireland
Major: Food Science
Bachelor of Science
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Major: Human Nutrition
Interned for one year at Unilever, Bedfordshire, UK