How Mary Olorunkosebi is redefining Food Safety and Public Health Through Science and Quality Systems

By Tosin Clegg

As the global food industry grapples with rising concerns over foodborne illnesses, regulatory compliance, and public health risks, a leading microbiologist and food safety professional, Mary Tomi Olorunkosebi, has shed light on the transformative role of science-driven solutions in strengthening food systems.

With a career spanning food microbiology, microbial control, and quality management, she has emerged as one of the few experts bridging academic research with industry impact and making significant strides in addressing critical challenges in food safety, antimicrobial strategies and One health.

Olorunkosebi’s journey detailed a relentless pursuit of knowledge. From her early academic achievements at the University of Ibadan, where she graduated with First Class Honors in Microbiology, to earning a perfect 4.0 GPA in Biology at Western Illinois University, Olorunkosebi has consistently demonstrated excellence. But beyond the accolades, she has channeled her expertise into solving some of the most persistent challenges in food safety and public health
Her work in quality management has been instrumental in ensuring compliance with local and international food safety standards. Now in United States, her work highlights her global relevance, where she serves as a Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Associate, she conducts inspections, testing, and process reviews that uphold the integrity of global food chains. Stakeholders within the sector have praised her role in fostering consumer trust and building systems that reduce contamination risks.

Reflecting on her mission, Olorunkosebi notes, “Food safety is not just a technical responsibility; it is a public health mandate. Every system we strengthen, every risk we eliminate, directly translates to safer communities and healthier lives.”
Her impact is equally visible in Nigeria, where she spearheaded regulatory compliance efforts at one of the notable Nigeria’s food companies. By coordinating successful product and plant registrations with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), she helped secure authorizations that allowed companies to bring safe products to market.

Industry insiders acknowledge that her meticulous documentation and regulatory navigation saved organizations from costly delays and compliance failures. “My passion has always been to harness antimicrobial solutions and exploring microbial application to enhance food quality, safety and sustainability. Antimicrobial strategies ties into food safety because controlling harmful microbes through nanomaterials, probiotics or targeted antimicrobial delivery helps reduce contamination in food system and improves preservation” Olorunkosebi stated.

Colleagues recall how she established an in-house food testing laboratory at Kofo Agro Allied Limited, an initiative that not only reduced reliance on external facilities but also improved the speed and accuracy of quality control processes. This, according to her peers, marked a turning point in how local companies approach scientific rigor in product testing.

Her expertise extends beyond industry laboratories. . At the Western Illinois University Food Pantry, she has championed safe food distribution to students and staff, ensuring that over hundreds of people weekly can access food that is not only available but safe to consume, “Equity in food distribution must be matched with equity in safety standards. Communities deserve both access and assurance’, she stressed.

As a researcher, she has contributed to scientific understanding in areas such as probiotic development, microbial control and risk assessment, and biodegradation of pharmaceutical effluents. Her published works underscore her ability to translate lab-based innovations into solutions with environmental and public health significance. Reflecting on her motivation, Olorunkosebi explained, “Science must not remain in journals and laboratories. Its value is in how it touches lives, prevents risks, and creates systems people can rely on.” Stakeholders in academia have described her research as a “timely contribution to the fight against antimicrobial resistance and contamination”. “It is important to ensure that the public health and safety is guaranteed from the food they consume. The One health has become more important than ever before because every little action in the ecosystem including biotic and abiotic components trickle down to human health through food consumption” Olorunkosebi emphasized.

Her colleagues at the Western Illinois University commend her for training and mentoring dozens of students, raising a new generation of scientists equipped with practical laboratory and regulatory skills. Her teaching approach emphasizes both scientific precision and social responsibility, qualities that resonate deeply with the young microbiologists she mentors.

In emergency preparedness, Olorunkosebi has also left her mark. As the founder and president of the WIU Red Cross Club, she mobilized student volunteers for blood drives, disaster relief efforts, and campus-wide health awareness campaigns. Her leadership in this space reflects her holistic view that one health and community service must work hand in hand.

Summing up her vision for the future, Olorunkosebi asserts, “The ultimate goal is to build resilient food systems that can withstand public health shocks. This requires not just regulatory compliance, but innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to see science as service to humanity.”