Jason Brill
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Day 2 of the Food Safety Summit featured sessions that touched on food safety culture and the modernization of recalls, two topics on a lot of minds right now in the industry.
After some early sessions on how to put the theory of food safety culture into everyday action, how edible food waste can help curb food insecurity and what makes a good leader, the opening keynote session again touched on the topic of food safety culture.
The Future of Food Safety Culture: Commitment and Collaboration, moderated by Shawn Stevens, Food Industry Counsel, featured speakers such as Conrad Choiniere, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Analytics and Outreach, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; Donald Prater, D.V.M., Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety, FDA Office of Food Policy and Response; Matthew Lash, Esq., Assistant Director, DOJ Consumer Protection Branch; and Michael Roberson, MS, CFS, CP-FS, Director of Corporate Quality Assurance, Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Stevens introduced the topic and offered his thoughts before kicking things to the speakers.
"Food safety culture is the one thing I think can have a more important impact on food safety,” he told the audience.
Choiniere and Prater shared what they think FDA's role can be when it comes to food safety culture, including encouraging and supporting culture in establishments the agency regulates support approaches to assessing culture.
“We realize we are not the leaders of #foodsafetyculture. Industry are the leaders," Choiniere said. "We’re reaching out to firms who have strong programs to learn more.”
As far as firms with strong programs, Roberson talked about how Publix focuses on food safety culture.
“The goals of food safety might be different [than other business segments]," he said. "But it’s vital that all leaders understand the importance of strong food safety.”
Day 2 also featured the first chance to really dig into the exhibit floor. Here's a quick spin around the floor (sorry about the nausea).
Take a quick spin with us! #foodsafetysummit pic.twitter.com/F10Lhbdtv6
— Quality Assurance (@QAMagazine) May 11, 2022
Afternoon sessions included Food Safety for Smaller Operations — Wearing All the Food Safety Hats at Once, presented by Rebecca Guzy, director of research, Frick Quality Meats. Guzy discussed all the resources professionals can use to "know what you don't know," which was her first takeaway after moving from large food company to Frick.
“We are always expected to be the calm in the storm," she said.
Steven Mandernach, the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), moderated a discussion, Improving the Future of Recalls, with speakers such as Jennifer Pierquet, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO); Mitzi Baum, Stop Foodborne Illness; and Lisa Hainstock, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
We recently chatted with Mandernach about this topic.
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