Meet Mary Angela Miller | The Food Safety Dietitian & Nutrition Expert

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Angela Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Angela, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Smart people, even really smart people, don’t understand food safety.
If someone has stomach cramps or other symptoms of “food poisoning,” what we officially call a foodborne illness (FBI) they always think it was caused by the last food they ate… but that they ate outside their home, say at a restaurant.
When I worked as foodservice director at a major Medical Center, a physician would come into my office and say…”I think I got sick from eating at the café salad bar yesterday.” And of course I would take that seriously and ask all the right questions to determine whether further investigations is needed.
But during this conversation I would take the time to educate:
There are over 25 germs or parasites that can cause a foodborne illness. Some make you violently ill within minutes. Others, like a hepatitis virus symptoms, may not show up for more than 6 weeks!
The only way to diagnose an FBI is through a stool sample…so how do you really know? I created KeepSafe Food to provide people the tips and tools they need to prevent FBIs. KeepSafe Food’s food safety kits are designed for home use. I also do a donation event for different community food pantry every year. Last year I donated 500 items for Veterans’ Administration use. And then of course is effective training. I make food safety training practical, engaging and fun for Ohio restaurateurs caterers and other foodservice operations. My mantra is: “Protect your Plate© and those who share your table.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
People ask why I wear the apron.
It belonged to my mom, Angelina Frazzini Miller
Mom was an amazing cook and baker.
Every day, she cooked for our family of 12 and for the nuns in the convent across the street. All from our tiny kitchen on Youngstown’s south side.
Her homemade spaghetti sauce and fresh baked bread were legendary
40 years later, when I run into kids from the old neighborhood, they confess to hanging out at our house on Wednesdays, bread day, in hopes of being invited for dinner
After her first stroke, in her early fifties, Mom mastered baking with only the use of one hand.
Several of my 6 Miller Sisters inherited her cooking skills… I did not
I may not be the worst cook among us, but I’m certainly not the best. One of the catalysts to pursuing a career in nutrition and foodservice was so that I could bump shoulders with chefs and still have access to great food.
Every spring since mom died, we Miller sisters gather together in her memory.
One year, my sister, Rose, when sorting through mom’s belongings ,put aside all the well-worn white cotton aprons ones and gave one to each of us.
I wear mine every year when I grill dinner for my sisters on our weekend
and when I represent KeepSafe Food.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We plan a walking tour through German Village. Lindy’s for brunch or dinner on their outdoor patio. It’s my favorite in the city. Afterwards we head over to Schmidt’s to share a destination dessert: one of their iconic cream puffs. We spend some time traipsing up and down the stairs to the various Book Loft rooms. Finally, we relax with a beer at one of the locals in the nearby Brewery District. If my guests are staying overnight, I treat them to an experience like no other: Shadowbox Theater.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for having the faith in me to lead their Food and Nutrition Services Department for 15 years. Along with my leadership team, we served millions of meals to thousands of patients and staff, all safely. And to all my non-foodie friends who say “ you are the only person we know who gets excited about food safety.” Yet they listen, learn and encourage.

Website: KeepSafe Food.com

Instagram: FoodSafetyDietitian

Linkedin: KeepSafe Food LLC

Facebook: KeepSafe Food

Yelp: KeepSafe Food