AFDO Plans Global Defense Conference

San Antonio, Texas — The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), a non-profit organization composed of local, state and federal government officials and industry leaders, will host its 111th Annual Educational Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, from June 16 to 20, 2007.

The conference is a forum for delegates from the United States, Canada and Mexico to discuss cutting-edge food, drug and device safety, security and defense initiatives, both domestic and international.

Titled “Global Challenges — Integrating Protection and Defense Strategies to Strengthen the Network,” the conference will feature keynote addresses and presentations by key federal, state and international food safety leaders, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Canada and Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection from Sanitary Risks.

Conference agenda topics include drug and medical device anti-counterfeiting technology, drug import strategies, E. coli and leafy greens outbreaks, ethnic food concerns, movement of meat and poultry across borders, legal issues around raw milk, and food defense and emergency response.

Conference speakers will explain the state and federal roles in identifying and reporting food-borne illnesses and outbreaks; the impact of counterfeit drugs from regulatory, law enforcement and industry perspectives; the threat of global counterfeit food and beverage packaging; and review anti-counterfeiting drug and device technologies.

Two pre-conference workshops — “The Ins & Outs of Food Import & Exports” and “Drug & Device Imports, Exports & Counterfeits” — will be held on Saturday, June 16. Leading experts will review the import process and vulnerabilities of both food and drugs. Federal import strategies, import alerts, FDA/state partnerships, bioterrorism/food defense and counterfeit drugs and devices are among the featured topics.