opinion
By Amy Riemer
Drawing on lessons learned from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Food Safety Summit continues its 23-year commitment to deliver mission-critical technology and methods to food safety professionals throughout the supply chain. As the industry prepares to move forward in the wake of the global pandemic, keeping the food supply safe for consumers remains a top priority. The unique challenges of the times will certainly call for new innovations and require the industry to come together to collectively solve complex problems.
In the continued commitment to prioritize the health and safety of the attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and staff, the Food Safety Summit will be presented as a virtual event this May 11–13. With the enthusiasm that BNP Media, producers of the event, received from the food safety community after the October 2020 virtual Summit, we are excited to improve on the success of the robust virtual platform to deliver the most effective food safety solutions in a safe and engaging format!
“We look forward to providing the same quality content, exhibitors and networking you expect from the Summit in our ‘best in class’ virtual environment. Food safety professionals will be able to attend sessions live and on demand, interact and ask questions with speakers, visit with top solutions providers in the virtual exhibit hall, and network with exhibitors and attendees using a new video chat feature,” said Scott Wolters, chief events officer of BNP Media, producer of the Food Safety Summit.
The education sessions will focus on the unique challenges of the “new normal” in four topic areas: COVID-19 and Beyond; Regulatory and Legal Issues; Tools and Technology; and Support for Food Safety Professionals. The summit offers a stellar line up of experienced speakers including food safety professionals from Costco, The Wendy’s Co. The Cheesecake Factory, FDA, CDC, USDA, AFDO, Sysco Corp., as well as academicians from North Carolina State, Illinois Institute of Technology, Rutgers University, and Michigan State, to name a few.
As chairman of the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board, Gary Ades had a chance to ask several icons of the food safety community to discuss the importance of the summit and the value of participating in the upcoming event. In the following exchange, hear from Donna Schaffner, M.Sc., Associate Director Food Safety, QA & Training at the Rutgers University Food Innovation Center, and Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Chief Quality Office for Van Drunen Farms/FutureCeuticals:
Gary Ades: Why do you think it is important to bring the food safety community together during the ongoing global pandemic?
Donna Schaffner: Food safety is an on-going priority and should not be overlooked while public focus is on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Joan Menke-Schaenzer: The pandemic brings increased…
Read More: Learn from icons in industry, academia, government at the Food Safety