Tyler Williams (M.S. ’21) never thought he’d dedicate his career to consumer safety. But ensuring the food on your table is safe to eat runs in the family. His mother worked numerous roles at ASI Food Safety for over a decade before purchasing the company in 2016. Since joining the team, Tyler has helped ASI become a leader in food safety audits.
In December 2022, the company was acquired by Dutch testing and certification company Kiwa Group. As CEO, Williams oversees the more than 3,000 audits the firm conducts annually, from restaurant chains such as McDonald’s to major brands you see on supermarket shelves. He also helped launch a division to audit the cannabis sold in states where the plant is legal for recreational or medicinal use.
Williams, based in St. Louis, Mo., was named to the Forbes’ 2024 30 Under 30 list of business leaders.
In a conversation with Spartan, Williams shares his insight on the surge of food recalls peppering North America and the expansion plans he envisions for the next decade.
Spartan: Food recalls have increased in the past five years, according to the Food and Drug Administration. They noted there were 179 highest-risk classification recalls this past fiscal, compared to 145 in 2023. We all heard about McDonald’s suspending the availability of their Quarter Pounders in several states due to recalled onions. What accounts for these increased numbers?
Williams: The reason why we're seeing an increase in food safety recalls is because we're getting better at catching them. Food safety has come a long way in just the past 10 years that I've been in the industry. We are definitely improving at reporting and being able to catch issues within the supply chain.
For a massive chain like McDonald's, it’s important to recognize they're not just going have one supplier for one ingredient. It's often going be based off region. So that one supplier might supply the whole west coast, for example. It can be very challenging for a company like McDonald's to manage a supply chain as big as what they have, and to be able to evaluate the risk of all their suppliers.
Spartan: Should we assume your audit team are not always the most welcome people to arrive at these manufacturing facilities?
Williams: My favorite phrase I hear from those we visit is, “We’ve never killed anyone.” And we reply, “That’s exactly what ‘insert major food company’ said just before they had a recall.”
I would say around three-quarters of our clients actually do welcome us because what we do is make them a better supplier. We give them the sense of security that they're doing things the right way.
Spartan: Going back to your university days, what compelled you to attend MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine after earning your bachelor’s at Missouri State?
Williams: Once my family acquired ASI, it seemed like a good opportunity to get into food safety. I wanted to help them grow the business. I found I was excited less about the business side of things, but the more technical side of ASI, such as conducting risk analysis for companies. I knew I really needed to expand my knowledge of this sector, and I heard great things about Michigan State’s master’s program in Science of Food Safety. I knew some of the professors’ names just from articles and books that I've read about the industry.
Spartan: What are you plans for ASI in the coming years?
Williams: We’ll continue to focus on our cannabis audit division, which is active in not just the U.S. but also in Canada and even in Africa. We’re also going to be active beyond food, as we just broke into the cosmetics sector, but also work toward conducting audits for products such as medical devices. And I’d like to expand ASI, within Kiwa, into a truly global brand.