Stop Foodborne Illness announced the new 2019–2020 Dave Theno Food Safety Fellow at the IAFP annual meeting last week. Jamie L. Ragos, a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, takes the reins from Emily Forauer, the inaugural Theno fellow. Stop Foodborne Illness established the fellowship program in memory of food safety expert David Theno who died in a swimming accident in 2017. Theno’s dedication to keeping people safe extended back to the E. coli O157:H7 outbreak at Jack-in-the-Box in 1993.
The Theno Food Safety Fellowship is a full-time paying job at Stop Foodborne Illness and the fellow also completes a 12-credit online food safety certificate with Michigan State University. Along with housing and benefits, the position gives a young food safety scientist real-world experience with Stop Foodborne Illness’ greater community in learning about the detrimental effects of “failures in food safety”.
“Jaime’s credentials make her a stand-out in any crowd. Her impressive resume illustrates her commitment not only to studying food science but also to sharing that knowledge to create safer, healthier communities,” said Stop Foodborne Illness CEO Mitzi Baum in a press release. “We’re thrilled to have her on board.”
Ragos has worked in research programs at the University of Tennessee’s Department of Nutrition; the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications; the Department of Food Science and Technology; and the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. In addition, she has participated on research teams at the Smith International Center in Guatemala and at North Carolina State University in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences.
Northfork Bison Distributions, Inc. has issue a voluntary recall of its Bison Ground and Bison/Buffalo Burgers following a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 and E. coli O103 linked to its ground bison. The ground bison was produced between February 22, 2019 and April 30, 2019, and has expiration dates through October 8, 2020.
Thus far, 21 people have become ill, and eight have been hospitalized, with cases reported in Connecticut, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The FDA regulates bison meat, as the authority is not assigned to USDA’s FSIS. Several images of the affected products have been posted on the agency’s website.
During the investigation, the FDA and CDC used traceback and epidemiological information to link to affected ground bison to Northfork Bison, which the agency noted was quick to initiate the recall.
During the 2019 Food Safety Consortium, Melody Ge will present, “What shall we prepare in this data-driven transitioning time?” on Wednesday, October 2 | View the agenda
Melody Ge, head of compliance at Corvium, Inc. has been appointed to the Food Safety Tech/Food Safety Consortium Advisory Board. Ge joins an esteemed group of food safety professionals who care deeply about helping the industry understand and navigate the various challenges companies face on a daily basis.
“As someone who has contributed insightful knowledge to our publication, we chose to extend an invitation to Melody to join our Board because we think she will be an asset for the industry to learn from when it comes to better compliance and leveraging technology in food safety programs,” said Maria Fontanazza, editor-in-chief of Food Safety Tech, in a Corvium press release.
“All of us in the food industry understand the importance of embracing the best practices to ensure the safest products to protect the public,” said Ge. “I look forward to bringing my experience which complements so many other industry leaders already part of this organization.”
Some of Ge’s recent contributions to Food Safety Tech include:
On Friday FDA released another update to its investigation of the Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to Del Monte vegetable trays. The agency has been unable to find a single source or contamination point for the outbreak, but it also states that it’s not likely that these trays are either on store shelves or in consumers’ homes. The illness cases have been isolated to five people in Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the last illness onset reported on May 15. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported.
The 2019 Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo kicks off on Tuesday, October 1 and is packed with two-and-a-half days of informative sessions on a variety of topics that are critical to the food safety industry. We invite you to check out the full agenda on the event website, but below are several event highlights that you should plan on attending.
Opening Keynote: Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, FDA
Recalls Panel Discussion: Led by Rob Mommsen, Director of Global Quality & Food Safety, Sabra Dipping Company
Food Defense Panel: Led by Steven Sklare, REHS, CP-FS, LEHP. Invited Panelists include Jason P. Bashura, MPH, RS, Sr. Mgr., Global Food Defense, PepsiCo and Jill Hoffman, Director, Global Quality Systems and Food Safety at McCormick & Company and Clint Fairow, M.S. Global Food Defense Manager, Archer Daniels Midland Company
“Validation Considerations and Regulations for Processing Technologies”: General Session presented by Glenn Black, Ph.D., Associate Director for Research, Division of Food Processing Science and Technology (DFPST), Office of Food Safety (OFS), CFSAN, FDA
“Food Safety Leadership: Earning respect – real-life examples of earning and maintaining influence as a Food Safety leader”: Panel Discussion moderated by Bob Pudlock, President, Gulf Stream Search
Supply Chain Transparency Panel Discussion: Led by Jeanne Duckett of Avery Dennison
Taking an Aggressive Approach to Sanitation: Planning for a Contamination Event: Presented by Elise Forward, President, Forward Food Safety
Three Breakout Tracks: Food Safety Leadership; Food Testing & Analysis and Sanitation and Operations
Register by September 13, 2019 for a special discount!
Watch this video from when Frank Yiannas was the vice president of food safety at Walmart. He presented at the 2015 Food Safety Consortium.
Watch this video of Steven Sklare speaking with Aaron Biros of Cannabis Industry Journal at the 2017 Food Safety Consortium.
In a recent exclusive column on Food Safety Tech, Laura Lombard, CEO of ImEPIK, discusses why food companies should be investing in PCQI training beyond basic FSMA requirements. During the following Q&A, she expands on these insights further to shed light on some of the misunderstandings companies have when it comes to the PCQI requirements under FSMA as well as tips for how to approach PCQI training itself.
Food Safety Tech: What are some of the misconceptions with the FSMA PCQI requirements?
Laura Lombard: The FSMA rule allows for alternate PCQI training in addition to the original FSPCA training. PCQI trainings are accepted as long as they meet the standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA. The FDA never intended that one organization have a monopoly over PCQI training but equally wants to ensure that core competencies in preventive controls are met.
The FSMA regulation does not require you to have a different PCQI per facility. However, it does require a PCQI to be in charge of an individual food safety plan per location. Depending on how many facilities your particular company has, you may want to consider more than one PCQI to oversee these different food safety plans to ensure that food safety plans are regularly updated and properly implemented.
FST: How should food companies be investing in PCQI training beyond the basic FSMA requirements?
Lombard: It’s very important to have at least one back up PCQI in place to ensure you are always covered if your head PCQI is out sick, on family leave, departs from the company, etc. This isn’t only to meet the FDA requirement of having a PCQI on your team, but also to ensure you are keeping your brand, product, and customers safe. The more you can protect yourself from having to do a recall of your product, the better. Recalls cost an average of $10 million, and this does not including damage to your brand and customer retention.
ImEpik and Food Safety Tech have partnered to offer PCQI online training, with special pricing options for attendees of the 2019 Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo | Learn moreFST: What are your top tips for companies regarding PCQI training?
Lombard: Be proactive in ensuring your employees are trained. The regulation is the minimum required, but for a small investment, you can ensure more of your food safety staff is current on best practices to ensure your products’ quality and safety.
Look for training that fits your individual or company needs and learning styles. Look for training that is interactive and going to test knowledge rather than just death by PowerPoint. Again, the goal shouldn’t be to check a regulatory box but to ensure that your staff has the knowledge needed to maintain your brands quality, reputation and customer base.
FST: What are some of the differences between the various PCQI trainings on the market?
Lombard: There are three types of trainings that all require 20-hours of content: 1) An in-person version where an instructor leads a 2 or 2.5 day training, 2) a blended-online version that has some content that is self-paced but also requires a set time and date for a webinar portion, and 3) a 100% self-paced online course that does not require a webinar. Some of the blended versions claim to be 100% online. It is true in the sense that both the self-paced content and webinar are computer-based, but it is not as convenient as being able to do the entire training on your schedule. All versions have their pros and cons, but doing the course online can save your company significant time and money by not requiring travel or set timeframes. We have learned that online versions allow learners more opportunity for mastering the material through regular assessments and remediation as needed. It is also an opportunity to practice knowledge through scenarios in a low-risk environment. Lastly, done correctly, online training can be more interactive through the use of games, videos and audio tools to keep learners engaged.
EDGARTOWN, MA, June 27, 2019 – Innovative Publishing Co., publisher of Food Safety Tech and organizer of the Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo is pleased to announce a partnership with FSSC 22000 to hold the organization’s Focus Event 2019 at this year’s Food Safety Consortium in Schaumburg, IL.
The FSSC 22000 Focus Event 2019 takes place on October 1 in Schaumburg, IL.
Taking place on October 1 as a pre-conference workshop, the FSSC 22000 Focus Event will provide a firsthand update of the FSSC 22000 program worldwide and review the new Version 5, which includes the revised ISO 22000:2018. Experts will give attendees an overview of the benefits of the ISO approach and its alignment with FSMA, as well as the role of FSSC 22000 new scopes, including Transport and Storage, with a practical example of the benefits of certification in this new sector. There will also be discussion of the application of the FSSC Global Markets Program to smaller and medium-sized organizations.
“I am excited to welcome stakeholders from the GFSI-recognized food safety management system FSSC 22000 to the Food Safety Consortium as key participants in educating an important part of this industry,” said Rick Biros, president of Innovative Publishing Co., Inc. and director of the Food Safety Consortium Conference and Expo.
Speakers include Cornelie Glerum, Managing Director, FSSC 22000; Cor Groenveld, Market Development Director, FSSC 22000; Jacqueline Southee, North America Representative, FSSC 22000; and Jim Blackmon, President of Carry Transit (invited).
Professionals within the following roles/segments should attend this event: Food and beverage companies; FSSC 22000 certified companies and companies interested in becoming FSSC 22000 certified; certification bodies and contractor auditors; accreditation bodies; and training organizations.
The FSSC 22000 Focus Event is available and included in the Food Safety Consortium Conference registration fee.
Delegates registering for the FSSC 22000 Focus Event 2019 only will also receive complimentary admission to the plenary session of the Food Safety Consortium, presented by Frank Yiannas, deputy commissioner, food policy and response at FDA, and are invited to attend the evening reception in the exhibition hall.
About Food Safety Tech
Food Safety Tech publishes news, technology, trends, regulations, and expert opinions on food safety, food quality, food business and food sustainability. We also offer educational, career advancement and networking opportunities to the global food industry. This information exchange is facilitated through ePublishing, digital and live events.
About the Food Safety Consortium Conference and Expo
The Food Safety Consortium Conference and Expo is a premier educational and networking event for food safety solutions. Attracting the most influential minds in food safety, the Consortium enables attendees to engage conversations that are critical for advancing careers and organizations alike. Visit with exhibitors to learn about cutting edge solutions, explore diverse educational tracks for learning valuable industry trends, and network with industry executives to find solutions to improve quality, efficiency and cost effectiveness in an ever-changing, global food safety market. This year’s event takes place October 1–3 in Schaumburg, IL.
About FSSC 22000
FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification 22000) offers a complete certification program for the auditing and certification of Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) and Food Safety and Quality Management Systems (FSSC 22000-Quality). Based on the internationally accepted ISO 22000 family of standards and benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), FSSC 22000 sets out the requirements for companies throughout the supply chain for meeting the highest food safety standards. FSSC 22000 is recognized and relied upon by some of the world’s largest food manufacturers, is widely accepted by Accreditation Bodies worldwide and supported by important stakeholders like FoodDrinkEurope (FDE) and the American Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
Last Friday Brand Castle, LLC announced a recall of 25 oz and 32 oz glass jars of its Brand Castle and Sisters’ Gourmet cookie and brownie mix due to concern over E. coli contamination. The voluntary recall is in cooperation with the recall being conducted by ADM Milling, as the company is a supplier of flour to Brand Castle. There is a full list of the affected products, along with product photos, in a company announcement on FDA’s website.
On June 14, King Arthur issued a voluntary recall of its five-pound bags of unbleached all-purpose flour in connection with the current E. coli outbreak related to ADM Milling Co.
View the range of content associated with the Food Safety ConsortiumThe 2019 Food Safety Consortium Conference & Expo attracts some of the most influential stakeholders in the industry. This year’s event, which runs October 1–3, will not disappoint, with several features that provide a maximum networking and educational benefit to attendees.
The following is a snapshot of just a few of the benefits of attending this year’s Food Safety Consortium:
The Food Defense Consortium Meeting. This pre-conference workshop is open to all participants of the Food Safety Consortium
FSSC 22000 North American Information Day. This pre-conference workshop takes place on the morning of Tuesday, October 1 and is open to all Food Safety Consortium participants
A complimentary Sanitation Pre-conference Workshop (Tuesday, October 1)
Keynote Plenary Session by Frank Yiannas, FDA deputy commissioner for food policy and response
Recalls panel led by Rob Mommsen, director of global quality & food safety, Sabra Dipping Company
Food defense panel led by Steven Sklare, president of The Food Safety Academy; participants include Jason Bashura, senior manager of global food defense at PepsiCo
Focused breakout tracks on food safety leadership, food testing & analysis, and sanitation and operations
Having the ability to apply barcodes directly to food could change the game of food traceability. One company has developed a patented technology that involves applying a DNA barcode directly to raw materials and finished product to enable traceability of a product throughout the entire supply chain.
Last month SafeTraces, Inc. was granted a U.S. Patent for a new method that encodes and decodes digital information to and from DNA strands. Called safeTracers, these seaweed-based DNA barcodes have been deemed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by FDA, are non-GMO and Kosher, and can be applied to all food and beverage products, according to SafeTraces. The DNA barcodes were initially developed for low margin industries such as fresh produce, and bulk foods and grains. The safeTracers are generated via the company’s IoT miniDART solution, which creates a unique batch for each lot of product. They are directly applied to food during processing, giving the food item or batch of commodity food a unique tag that contains traceability information.
This technology could be fill a critical piece of the puzzle during a recall, as information about a product could be accessed within minutes.
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