Dr. Hal King is a public health scientist and food safety management expert whose career has been dedicated to preventing foodborne and infectious diseases across the United States. His work spans epidemiologic investigation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, federally funded infectious disease research at Emory University School of Medicine, and national food safety leadership in the restaurant industry and for government and industry advisory bodies. Throughout his career, Dr. King has focused on translating public health science into practical systems, tools, and leadership models that help foodservice and manufacturing businesses prevent illness before it occurs.
As Director of Food and Product Safety at Chick-fil-A Inc., Dr. King designed and led the company’s first enterprise-wide Food Safety Management Program, integrating FDA Food Code–based controls, consumer-driven risk mitigation strategies, supply chain safety, and active managerial control of foodborne illness risk factors. His work at Chick-fil-A became the basis of his first book, Food Safety Management: Implementing a Food Safety Program in a Food Retail Business, written to give the industry a replicable governance and systems model for protecting customers at scale. During his tenure, Chick-fil-A’s program was nationally recognized by the FDA and professional organizations as a model for excellence in food safety.
Dr. King has since authored and edited multiple influential books—Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls; Food Safety Management Systems; and Food Safety Business Leadership in the Business of Food Safety—each aimed at filling critical knowledge gaps in the foodservice industry. Across these works, he translates federal regulatory frameworks, scientific principles, and practical corporate governance into accessible guidance for foodservice executives, operators, and food safety professionals. His goal has remained consistent: elevate industry capability by showing how strong leadership, well-designed systems, and a culture of public health responsibility prevent outbreaks and save lives.
As Managing Partner of Active Food Safety, Dr. King and his team of advisors now advise many of the largest foodservice brands in the United States. He leads the development of risk-vetting methodologies, food safety management system designs, and innovative tools—ranging from mobile applications to new sanitation technologies—that help businesses operationalize prevention. He also serves on multiple corporate advisory boards, contributes to national committees and regulatory partnerships, and teaches the next generation of public health professionals as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Georgia.
Dr. King continues to write books, articles, and training materials—and produces the industry podcast Food Safety Unwrapped—because he believes the foodservice sector should never have to “learn the hard way.” By documenting best practices, explaining how food safety leadership really works inside major brands, and sharing the science behind prevention, his work provides the field with practical pathways to reducing foodborne disease. His career reflects a simple premise: when enterprises understand and execute food safety as a core business function, public health is protected, customers remain safe, and the entire industry becomes stronger.
