Produce Safety & The Foodservice Industry: A Farm-to-Table Conference
Agenda
Thursday, March 29, 2007
7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Registration and continental breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introductory Remarks • Dr. Donna Garren, vice president, health and safety regulatory affairs, National Restaurant Association
• Dr. Michael Liewen, vice president, quality assurance, Yum! Brands Inc.
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Produce Safety: Regulatory Activities Leading federal and state government agencies summarize preliminary results of epidemiological investigations into recent produce-related illness outbreaks, including investigations by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Learn what changes regulators are considering to help ensure the safety of fresh produce along the supply chain and prevent future outbreaks.
• Dr. Robert Brackett, director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Presentation (2.8mb PDF)
• Dr. Jeff Farrar, chief, Food and Drug Branch, California Department of Health Services Presentation (118k PDF)
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Produce Safety: Congress's Agenda Federal lawmakers are weighing in with ideas on how to reform the federal food-safety regulatory system. Get an overview of the proposals, plus a look at the pros and cons of one of the most frequently mentioned options, a single federal food-safety agency.
• Michelle Reinke, legislative affairs director, National Restaurant Association Presentation (325k PDF)
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Steps to Improve Food Safety -- The Produce Industry Responds Produce-industry trade-group executives discuss legislative and regulatory proposals to tighten food-safety regulation from farm to fork. Learn more about the produce industry's marketing initiatives to restore consumer confidence. How will these efforts be communicated, and will they have a true impact on how consumers view produce safety? Are legislative/regulatory steps needed to restore confidence?
Produce Safety & Legislative Mandates (1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.)
• Tom Stenzel, president & CEO, United Fresh Produce Association Presentation (295k PDF)
Food-Safety Metrics in the Produce Industry (1:50 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.)
• Dr. Jim Gorny, senior vice president, food safety & technology,
United Fresh Produce Association Presentation (1.2mb PDF)
The Impact of Communications on Consumer Confidence (2:20 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.)
• Lorna Christie, senior vice president, industry products & services, Produce Marketing Association Presentation (500k PDF)
Marketing Agreements/Marketing Orders for California Produce Handlers and Processors (2:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.)
• Hank Giclas, vice president, science and technology, Western Growers Association Presentation (346k PDF)
Speaker Panel Q & A (3:20 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.)
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Controlling Pathogens: Lessons Learned from the Meat Industry Recent problems with fresh produce bring to mind the challenges the meat industry faced years ago with E. coli. See what changes the meat industry has adopted to address food-safety challenges. Learn firsthand the new and sometimes costly strategies the industry has adopted to successfully combat foodborne pathogens and improve consumer confidence in meat safety.
• Dr. Randy Huffman, vice president, scientific affairs, American Meat Institute Presentation (399k PDF)
4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Certifying and Verifying Produce Safety in the Supply Chain It's in foodservice operators' interest to have stringent produce-vendor-qualification and certification processes in place. Learn the components of an ideal audit process, including the frequency of audits and the food-safety parameters produce vendors should meet.
• Tom Chestnut, vice president, supply-chain food safety and quality, NSF Presentation (278k PDF)
5:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Day 1 Wrap-up
Friday, March 30, 2007
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Welcome / Day 1 Recap • Ed Tinsley, Tinsley Hospitality Group LLC, chairman of the board, National Restaurant Association
9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Processor Systems to Manage Produce Safety From the grower to the shipper to the processor and the distributors, what steps are needed to maintain a safe food supply as food makes its way to a restaurant's back door? Each supply-chain segment has processes in place to address food safety. Learn from a leader in the processing industry the new food-safety protocols being implemented to address the recent foodborne illness outbreaks.
• Drew McDonald, vice president, national quality systems, Taylor Farms Presentation (23mb PDF)
9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Distributor Systems to Manage Produce Safety The final responsibility for the safety of food entering the foodservice establishment rests with the operator. The distributor plays a key role, serving as the critical link between the foodservice establishment and the processor. What do distributors require from the processing industry to ensure that the produce they distribute is safe? Learn what quality processes are in place so you can have confidence that the produce you receive meets the critical food-safety standards of your establishment.
• Gary Smith, director of distribution food safety and quality assurance, U.S. Foodservice Presentation (836k PDF)
10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Vendor Requirements: A Restaurant Perspective Ensuring food safety is a difficult and costly process, and the responsibility of every segment of the food industry. Industry standards are in foodservice operators' best interest; restaurants that decide to wait for government action and enforcement may find they're no longer in business when rules are finally implemented. Hear how one of the largest restaurant companies in the world is working with its produce vendors to ensure that only the safest, highest-quality products make it into the company's brand concepts.
• Anna Ohki, vice president, quality assurance and product development, Taco Bell Presentation (183k PDF)
10:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Collecting and Storing Food-Safety Information Fast and effective tools for collecting and storing food-safety information help businesses ensure that suppliers are meeting government regulations and company requirements. Learn how many of the food industry's top companies are participating in one industry approach for managing supply-chain information and documentation.
• Matthew Smith, president and CEO, iCiX (International Compliance Information Exchange) Presentation (3.2mb PDF)
11:15 a.m. - Noon
Food Safety Leadership Council Food Safety Requirements for Produce Vendors • John Gurrisi, director, total quality, Darden Restaurants Presentation (373k PDF)
Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Vendor Food-Safety Requirements: Restaurant Industry Expectations • Dr. Donna Garren, vice president, health and safety regulatory affairs, National Restaurant Association, leads a discussion on the restaurant industry's expectations for produce safety in 2007 and beyond. Presentation (350k PDF)
RSS Feeds