Food Safety Tech and the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) are excited to announce that the 2025 Food Safety Consortium will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, from October 19-21. The 2025 event will focus on the convergence of policy, science, and best practices. With the conference being held near Washington, D.C., this year will place a renewed emphasis on policy discussions, reflecting the growing need to address regulatory and legislative issues. The program will also prioritize the sharing of best practices, offering attendees the chance to learn from one another and engage in collaborative problem-solving on hot-button issues.

The 2025 conference will continue the Consortium’s mission to:

• Facilitate the exchange of scientific information and best practices among food safety professionals.
• Address current challenges and advancements in food safety, technology, and compliance.
• Promote collaboration between industry, academia, and regulatory bodies to enhance public health outcomes.

“The 2025 Consortium will build upon the success of previous events, which have featured high-level panel discussions, educational presentations, and pre-conference workshops.” said Rick Biros, Content Director and Founder of Food Safety Tech.

Notably, past FDA keynote speakers have included Jim Jones, Mike Taylor, Steve Ostroff, Frank Yiannas, and Erik Mettler, supporting the FDA’s industry outreach objectives to the food and beverage industry. In 2024, James “Jim” Jones, Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods at the FDA, was the keynote speaker. His participation was particularly significant, as the Food Safety Consortium was one of the first conferences following the agency’s reorganization where Mr. Jones addressed the food industry. “In 2025, we plan to include FDA leadership in the program. Having the conference in the Washington DC area helps facilitate greater accessibility for FDA officials, other government representatives such as those from USDA and DHS, as well as industry associations.” Biros adds.

Guiding the 2025 program is a newly formed committee that includes:

• Jason P. Bashura, MPH, RS, PepsiCo R&D, Global Food Safety & Quality Assurance, Sr. Manager, Global Food Defense, PepsiCo
• Erika Blickem, Director of Food Safety, J.R. Simplot Company, Inc.
• Benjamin Chapman, Ph.D., Department Head, Professor, Food Safety Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, North Carolina State University, NC State Extension
• Byron D. Chaves, PhD., Associate Professor & Food Safety Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Melody Ge, Sr. Director, Food Safety & Quality Operations, TreeHouse Foods, Inc.
• David Hatch, Vice President, Digital Solutions Marketing, Neogen
• Jill Hoffman, Senior Director, Food Safety and Quality, B&G Foods, Inc.
• Justyce Jedlicka, NA Commercial Applications – Food & Beverage Regulatory, Science & Lab Solutions, BioMonitoring, MilliporeSigma
• Barbara C. Kowalcyk, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University
• Michael L Rybolt, Ph.D., Sr. Vice President, Food Safety & Quality Assurance, Tyson Foods

Donna Garren, Executive Vice President of Science & Policy at AFFI, who leads the program committee, commented, “The committee’s collective expertise in food safety and leadership will be essential in shaping the conference program. The Consortium has always been a key platform for the convergence of policy, science, and best practices, and in 2025, we will ensure that policy discussions take center stage, especially given the proximity to Washington, D.C. AFFI’s work is always grounded in science, and our commitment to evidence-based solutions drives everything we do. This conference will continue to reflect that focus while fostering collaboration across all sectors of the food safety ecosystem.

Food Safety Tech and AFFI are requesting presentation and panel discussion abstracts for consideration to be presented during the Food Safety Consortium Conference, Oct. 19-21, 2025, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington VA.

Submit Your Abstract    Abstract Submissions are due by February 14