The AME Food Testing Show

Intelleflex Extended Capability RFID Tags for Food Cold Chain Assurance with Kevin Payne, Senior Director of Marketing, Intelleflex Corporation.

[Biography]

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. What is the cold chain in food production?

3. Historically how have companies tracked their products?

4. What is an RFID tag?

5. How would an RFID tag help food producers?

6. What information could the RFID tag track?

7. What are the benefits for consumers?

8. What other products and services does Intelleflex?

Kevin Payne

Senior Director of Marketing

Intelleflex Corporation

2465 Augustine Drive #102

Santa Clara, CA 95054

408-200-6500

Fax: 408-200-6599

http://www.intelleflex.com/

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) Cantaloupe Testing Program with Christine Shaker, Senior Program Officer and Irina Frenkel, Chief, Fresh Produce Safety.

The CFIA develops and delivers programs and services designed to protect Canadians from preventable food safety hazards, to ensure that food safety emergencies are effectively managed, and that the public is aware of--and contributes to--food safety.

On September 6, 2012, as part of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) routine testing of various food products, a study was released that found 100% of cantaloupes tested did not contain Salmonella or Shigella and were safe for human consumption. No follow-up activities were needed.

The CFIA analyzed 1,207 domestic and imported cantaloupe samples collected from Canadian retail stores. They included 895 samples from domestic and imported whole cantaloupes and 312 from imported fresh-cut, ready-to-eat cantaloupes. Because neither Salmonella nor Shigella was detected, all samples were classified as "satisfactory".

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. What is Canada’s Cantaloupe Testing Program?

3. Which pathogens are of interest?

4. How is the testing program conducted?

5. What has the program discovered about the cantaloupe market?

6. Are there other product markets to be tested?

7. Summary

Contacts:

Irina Frenkel

Chief, Fresh Produce Safety

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Section

Agrifood Division, CFIA

Christine Shaker

Senior Program Officer

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Section

Agrifood Division, CFIA

Guy Gravelle

Senior Media Relations Officer

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Government of Canada

(613) 773-6600

FAX: (613) 773-5558

United States USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Verification Testing Program of Beef Trimmings for E. coli O157:H7 with Jim Byron, CEO, Xgenex LLC.

Jim Byron graduated from Boston College with a Bachelors degree in Business Administration.  His career of over 30 years progressed from water treatment and industrial chemicals sales management to biotechnology, food testing systems and food testing laboratories.  In addition to several patent applications in process, Jim has authored several articles for Food Safety Magazine, including articles on Listeria Testing and STEC Testing.

In 2012 Xgenex was formed by a group of biotech executives, food industry insiders and investors appointing Jim Byron as CEO.  Xgenex executives have strong relationships and networks with owners, executives, regulators and decision makers in the food industry.  This network includes academicians and leading consulting organizations.  Xgenex is focused on bringing New Technology and Innovative New Scientific Discoveries to the food industry to advance outdated routines, enhancing results and improving financial performance of food manufacturers and companies working in the food industry.

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. What is E. coli O157:H7?

3. Why is it important to screen beef prior to shipment?

4. What is the current technology and process?

5. What is the FSIS?

6. How does the FSIS test beef?

7. What are the challenges?

8. How can the program be improved?

9. Xgenex other products and projects.

Contact:

Jim Byron

CEO

Xgenex LLC.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbyron828

xgenex.com

(484) 356-7283

Food Safety at The Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association with Bob Jones Jr., the Chair of the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement and COO of The Chef’s Garden and Michael V. Geary, CAE, is serving as the Executive Director of the Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association and Chief Executive Officer of OFA—The Association of Horticulture Professionals.

Bob Jones Jr. holds a B.S. degree in Agriculture from The Ohio State University and a Masters degree from the Institute for Effective Church Leadership. Jones has been involved in industry organizations for over fifteen years. Bobby first served on the board of directors of the Ohio Vegetable and Potato Growers Association and subsequently on the board of the Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association.

Michael V. Geary, has twenty years of association management and organizational development experience. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and earned the designation of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the American Society of Association Executives in 2000.

Agenda:

1.    Introduction.

2.    What is food safety?

3.    What is the OPMA?

4.    The OPMA food safety program.

5.    Benefits to the consumer.

6.    Benefits to the food producer.

7.    OPMA goals and projects

Contact:

Bob Jones Jr.

COO

The Chef’s Garden

Huron, OH

[email protected]

Chair of the Ohio Produce Marketing Agreement

Michael V. Geary, CAE

Executive Director

The Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association

Chief Executive Officer

OFA—The Association of Horticulture Professionals

Columbus, OH

[email protected]

GMO Effects on Tumor Growth with Gilles-Eric Séralini, Ph.D.

Dr. Seralini is a Professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen in France. Professor Seralini's studies on the safety of genetically modified organisms have seen the publication of over 100 scientific articles and conference papers relating to food safety. He's concluded from these studies that it is too soon to declare GMO's safe for human consumption.CRIIGEN is a unique international group of experts having a transdisciplinary approach on the benefits and risks of genetic engineering, and on alternatives. It is independent from biotech companies and promotes counter-analysis.

- A  Molecular Biology Professor at Caen University, since 1991, France

- Researcher and teacher in charge of a team and author,

-  One the very first to demand a European commercial moratorium on agricultural GMOs for further research,

- Appointed member of two governmental commissions on GMOs (the Biomolecular Engineering Commission (CGB) in charge of risk assessment, and the Biovigilance Committee assessing GMOs after they have been commercialized) in 1998.

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. What is a genetically modified organism?

3. What does a GMO do to food?

4. Which studies have you conducted about GMOs?

5. What were the results of the studies?

6. What are the benefits of GMO food?

7. What are the liabilities of GMO food?

8. What should consumers know about GMO food?

9. Other projects and programs.

Contact:

Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini

Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Caen

Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

I.B.F.A.

Esplanade de la Paix

14032 Caen Cedex

France

[email protected]

www.criigen.org

ATP testing vs. Other Types of Tests for Environmental Surfaces with Joshua Jones, founder of Fish&Loaves Food Safety Consulting.

After beginning his career in quality assurance as an internal quality process auditor for a medical device manufacturer, Joshua applied his education and quality background in medical device manufacturing into the food industry as a food safety and quality specialist, regulatory consultant, trainer and sanitarian for a privately owned vegetable grower and processor as well as an international ingredients manufacturer. 

Joshua possesses a Bachelor’s in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of South Carolina. Joshua is a certified Safe Quality Food practitioner and auditor for both the ISO 22000 food safety and ISO 9001 quality management systems. He is a registered ServSafe instructor and proctor and conducts these trainings on basic sanitation practices and principles for the restaurant industry.

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. Why test a food contact surface for bacterial contamination?

3. What is ATP technology?

3. What are the advantages/disadvantages of ATP testing?

4. How does ATP testing compare with traditional methods?

5. What are the audit guidelines regarding ATP testing?

6. How does a manager engage ATP testing?

7. What types decisions are driven by ATP testing?

8. Fish&Loaves Food Safety Consulting products and services.

Contact:

Joshua Jones

Fish&Loaves Food Safety Consulting

Lexington SC

803-378-2369

A Primer on Molecular epidemiology with Stephen J. Knabel, Ph.D., Professor of Food Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Penn State University.

Iowa State University, Microbiology and Food Technology, Ph.D., 1989, M.S., 1986, B.S., 1973.

Dr. Knabel's studies: Detection, tracking and control of foodborne pathogens: Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and Campylobacter. Development of novel methods for the recovery of injured foodborne pathogens and detection by conventional and molecular methods. Contamination of raw animal foods by gram-negative foodborne pathogens and destruction by high pH. Understanding and enhancing the mechanisms of action of foodgrade microbial inhibitors. Metal ion interactions with spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Role of heat shock proteins in induced thermotolerance. Research on the long-term-survival phase of Listeria monocytogenes and its effect on changes in barotolerance, thermotolerance and cellular morphology.

Agenda:

1. Introduction

2. What is a bacterial pathogen?

3. Which technologies have been employed to detect them?

4. What is molecular epidemiology and how is it different than detection?

5. What is the goal of molecular epidemiology?

6. How has molecular epidemiology evolved (from biochemical testing to DNA fingerprinting to DNA sequencing)?

7. Listeria discussion.

8. What recent advances have been made in your lab in the area of molecular epidemiology?

9. Overall conclusions and wrap-up.

Contact:

Stephen J. Knabel, Ph.D.

Professor of Food Science

College of Agricultural Sciences

Penn State University

437 Food Science Building

University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-863-1372

“A Plaintiff’s Lawyer Discusses Food Outbreak Litigation” with Elliot L. Olsen, Esq. of PritzkerOlsen, P.A.

Elliot Olsen practices in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, medical malpractice, and foodborne illness litigation. As a recognized national leader in foodborne illness, he has lectured to a broad range of the industry, including produce growers, beef and poultry producers, and other lawyers.  In 2012, he was again named a “Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Law and Politics.

Mr. Olsen received his undergraduate degree from Carleton College and his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.  Mr. Olsen is a Certified Civil Trial Specialist with the Minnesota State Bar and is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Agenda:

1. Introduction.

2. What is a foodborne illness case?

3. The use of governmental outbreak test results in a case.

4. What is pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)?

5. What is multi-virulence locus–sequence typing (MVLST)?

6. Is the tracking food production from field to fork helpful for plaintiffs?

7. Examples of food production management failures which led to outbreaks.

8. Additional damages to the food industry due to outbreaks.

9. Other projects and cases.

Contact:

Elliot L. Olsen, Esq.

PritzkerOlsen, P.A.

Suite 2950

45 South 7th Street

Minneapolis, MN 55402-1652

612-338-0202

612-338-0104 Fax

[email protected]

“Legal Response to an FDA Inspection: Form 483” with Shawn K. Stevens, Esq.

Shawn is an equity member of the law firm of Gass Weber Mullins. He is one of the only lawyers in America who dedicates his practice entirely to representing the food industry.

During the past decade, Mr. Stevens has counseled food industry clients throughout the country (including some of the nation’s largest food producers, national restaurant chains, and several food distributors and grocers) on a wide-range of food safety regulatory and liability issues.  Mr. Stevens works closely with food companies to identify and manage risk, plan and prepare for possible crises, and also respond appropriately to governmental enforcement actions and recalls.

Mr. Stevens has also defended food industry clients against high-profile foodborne illness outbreak claims in more than 2o states throughout the country.

Agenda:

Introduction. What is a US FDA Inspection? When would such an inspection occur? What is an FDA Inspection Form 483? What is an appropriate response? What are the potential outcomes? How to avoid such situations. Review of best practices and programs.

Contact:

Shawn K. Stevens, Esq.

Gass, Weber, Mullins, LLC.

309 North Water Street

Milwaukee, WI   53202

www.gasswebermullins.com

www.defendingfoodsafety.com

Direct:   (414) 224-7784

Fax:      (414) 224-6116

[email protected]

Food Safety Audits: One Element in a Food Safety Program with Dr. Douglas Powell, Professor, Food Safety, Dept. Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University.

Doug Powell, food scientist and creator of an online repository of food-safety related information, joined K-State as an associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's department of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in May 2006. He was promoted to full professor in 2011.

Powell is among a collection of individuals who passionately care about reducing the burden of food-borne illness and who seek innovative ways to compel everyone in the farm-to-fork food safety system -- individual producers, retail employees and consumers, among others -- to acknowledge and adopt best practices to reduce the risk of food-borne illness. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, and has served on national and international food safety advisory boards.

Agenda:

1.     Introduction.

2.     What is a food safety audit?

3.     Is a 3rd party audit or inspection enough to guard against pathogen contamination?

4.     What are verification of product and process systems?

5.     What other steps can food producers take to assure safe food?

6.     How to develop a food safety culture.

7.     Other projects and programs.

Contact:

Dr. Douglas Powell

Professor, Food Safety

Dept. Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS  66506

[email protected]

bites.ksu.edu

barfblog.com

Google voice: 1-785-289-8165

skype: dpowell29

ichat: ifoodsafety