Food safety issues draw focus at Reimagine Conversations event

Food safety issues are drawing a concentrated focus through a dedicated track at the United Fresh Produce Association’s virtual Reimagine Conversations event.

The track, called Key Issues Driving Produce Safety, is sponsored by Ecolab Inc.

During the sessions, participants will explore the major issues driving produce safety today, with expert discussions on testing and data analysis, farm-level controls for pathogens, facility control of listeria, end-to-end supply chain traceability, outbreak investigations/recalls and more, according to United Fresh.

•  Regulatory Interactions: Outbreaks, Inspections, and Sampling: June 3, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern;

Sponsored by iFoodDS, this session will feature industry experts talking about their first-hand experiences responding to regulatory inquiries related to outbreak investigations, routine inspections and product sampling assignments.

Speakers: Suresh DeCosta, director of food safety for North America and Latin America at Lipman Family Farms; David Durkin, principal at OFW Law; and John Gurrisi, vice president of food safety and quality for Fresh Express.

• The Optics and Statistics of Product Testing: June 10, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

Sponsored by Neogen, this session will consider the debate over the merits of product testing, whether pre- or post-harvest. Participants will learn how different commodities and different parts of the supply chain are approaching testing.

Speakers: Joelle Mosso, associate CSO of produce for Eurofins; Don Schaffner, extension specialist in food science and professor at Rutgers University; and Tim York, CEO of California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement.

• Science Insights: Highlighting Underutilized Research: June 17, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

Sponsored by GLOBALG.A.P, this session will feature a panel of produce safety researchers. The researchers will highlight one thing they think research has shown that hasn’t been widely adopted or considered, according to United Fresh.

Speakers: Jeffrey Brecht, professor at the University of Florida; Michelle Danyluk, associate professor at the University of Florida; Robert Mandrell, USDA ARS, retired; and Trevor Suslow, UC Davis-emeritus faculty extension research specialist; and Wiedmann Lab alumni, Cornell University.

• The Traceability Blame Game: June 23, 2-3 p.m. Eastern

Sponsored by iFoodDS, this session will look at how each point in the supply chain faces unique challenges to tracing produce.

Speakers: Ashley Avilla, account executive for iFoodDS; Donna Lynn Browne, director of food safety and social responsibility for Naturipe Farms; Tom Lovelace, executive vice president of McEntire Produce; Shane Samples, senior director of food safety and quality for Sysco/FreshPoint; and Mike Sexton, vice president of supply chain for McEntire Produce.

• Re-emerging Produce Safety Issues: June 24, 11 a.m. to noon Eastern

Sponsored by GLOBALG.A.P, this session will hear from industry experts on hot topics such as agricultural water, heavy metals, root cause analysis and more.

Speakers: Tony Banegas, VP of food safety and industry relations for Bonduelle Fresh Americas; Emily Griep, manager of food safety for United Fresh; and Jennifer McEntire, senior vice president of food safety for United Fresh.

• Food Safety Mix and Mingle: June 25, 2-3 p.m. Eastern

Sponsored by GLOBALG.A.P, this social hour offers participants the opportunity to learn about the latest food safety solutions or chat with newer produce safety professionals.