The International Symposium on Food Safety and Control will take place from May 27 to 31, 2024 in Vienna, Austria.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) event will cover food fraud and authenticity; food and phytosanitary irradiation; chemical residues and contaminants in food and feed; preparing for and responding to incidents and detection of pathogens in food.

Role of nuclear techniques in food sector
The conference will bring together scientists, researchers, laboratory analysts, policymakers, regulators, food producers and other stakeholders concerned with food safety and control systems and maintaining the integrity of the supply chain. The weeklong event will highlight current and novel applications of nuclear and complementary techniques and will discuss future perspectives and opportunities.

The IAEA supports countries and their laboratories to improve food safety and meet import and export requirements through research projects and training.

Nuclear techniques can be used in labs to analyze food products for safety and control purposes, and in processing, such as food irradiation to maintain quality, prevent foodborne illness, reduce food waste and extend product shelf-life.

“In the complex journey of foods, from farm to fork, nuclear techniques help to protect consumers by detecting, as well as eliminating, potential food hazards,” said Carl Blackburn, food irradiation specialist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

“We look forward to bringing together the food safety control community and providing a platform to share information and to discuss future needs and directions.”

The deadline to submit abstracts for original papers, oral or poster presentations is Nov. 17, 2023. Attendance is free and there is no registration fee.

Data sharing in Latin America
Meanwhile, the IAEA is supporting a data sharing committee in Latin America and the Caribbean that will boost food safety in national and regional markets, and facilitate the international trade of food products.

Launched during the Latin American Congress on Pesticide Residues hosted in Panama by the Ministry of Agriculture in May, the initiative will enable the official food safety laboratories of 17 countries in the region to share analytical data for public health with the long term goal of creating a regional preparedness system for food safety. The intention is to expand the initiative to countries in the Caribbean.

The committee will operate under the umbrella of RALACA (Red de Latino America y el Caribe). Formed to improve food monitoring systems and ensure safe food, RALACA brings together 76 food safety organizations in 20 countries.

“Reliable data from analytical tests for residues, pesticides, contaminants, additives, and other substances in food for human consumption, carried out by food safety laboratories, will allow informed decision-making in accordance with the realities of the Latin American and Caribbean region,” said Yajaira Salazar Chacón, head of the food safety department at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, National Animal Health Service (SENASA) in Costa Rica.

Functioning labs plus strengthened controls and inspections can help identify hazards in food and contribute to minimizing opportunities for fraud and contamination. Improved testing and access to accurate data will enable authorities in the region to manage and mitigate risks and improve risk-based monitoring programs.  

A database for food residues and contaminants was created, which is housed at IAEA. Officially nominated and authorized users can input national data and view aggregated statistics for risk assessment exercises. It is hoped that harmonized data will increase opportunities to conduct regional statistical analyses.

“In the context of an increasing population and an increasing need for food safety, it should be highlighted that better food safety starts with better data,” said Britt Maestroni, IAEA food safety and control laboratory training officer.

“Through this initiative, we will start to think together collectively with the countries in the region, and our regional and international partner organizations, on how to overcome common challenges and how we can ensure safe and sufficient food for all.”

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The International Association for Food Protection’s (IAFP) European Symposium is in Aberdeen, Scotland from May 3-5, 2023.

Graduate and undergraduate students living in Europe and enrolled in a college or university food safety-related degree program in Europe are encouraged to apply.

The scholarship supports the travel of two students to attend the food safety conference. The deadline to apply is Jan. 10, 2023, and more details can be found here.

Applicants must be student members of IAFP and full-time graduate or undergraduate students. Previous recipients cannot apply.

Registration for the event will open in January 2023 and early prices range from €115 ($118) for IAFP student members to €740 ($761) for non-members.

The call for symposia and roundtables closed in October but technical and poster abstract submissions is open until Jan. 17, 2023.

IAFP represents more than 4,500 food safety professionals. The association includes educators, government officials, microbiologists, food industry executives, and quality control experts.

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According to the CPS announcement, 32 scientists are waiting to share their fresh produce food safety research. They investigate questions asked by the industry and welcome input in their final and interim findings.

The CPS Research Symposium will be held on June 21-22, 2022 in San Diego, CA. The full agenda can be viewed here.

For more information or to register, visit the CPS Research Symposium event page.

A full list of funded research through 2021 can be found here. 

About CPS

The Center for Produce Safety is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. CPS is a collaborative partnership that leverages the combined expertise of industry, government and the scientific and academic communities to focus on providing research needed to continually enhance food safety. This level of collaboration allows CPS to fill the knowledge gaps on produce food safety and address both research priorities and immediate industry needs.

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Deputy FDA Commissioner Frank Yiannas and FDA experts across the agency’s human foods program will be available to explain and answer questions about the plan with the goal of raising awareness, enhancing understanding, and building support. Stakeholders are welcome to provide their insights as well as ask questions. 

This response improvement plan focuses on tech-enabled product traceback, root cause investigations, analysis and dissemination of outbreak data, and operational improvements. It is intended to work in concert with FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, which outlines specific approaches the FDA will take over the next decade to address food safety in the rapidly changing food system. 

The plan was also informed by an independent review of the FDA’s structural and functional capacity to support, participate in, or lead multistate foodborne illness outbreak investigation activities. Attendees will hear more about that review in this webinar. 

Those interested in attending can register here.

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The awards will be presented at IAFP’s annual conference, which is set for July 31 – Aug. 3 in Pittsburgh, PA.

The categories range from the Black Pearl Award — the association’s top award — for corporate excellence in food safety to travel scholarships for food safety students who want to attend the IAFP annual conference.

Those submitting nominations are not required to be an IAFP member for most of the awards. Nominations for all awards, unless otherwise indicated, are due by Feb.15, 2022, and can be completed through the IAFP website.

The association encourages its members to apply for the travel expense awards for employees of state or provincial health or agricultural departments in North America. There is also an IAFP travel award for food safety professionals in a country with a developing economy to attend the IAFP annual meeting and conference. Student travel scholarship criteria is available on the IAFP students’ page.

Some of the awards scheduled to be presented in 2022 are:

Black Pearl Award

Award Showcasing the Black Pearl. Presented in recognition of a company’s outstanding achievement in corporate excellence in food safety and quality. Sponsored by: F&H Food Equipment Company. 2021 Recipient: Mondelḕz International

Fellows Award

Presented to member(s) who have contributed to IAFP and its affiliates with distinction over an extended period of time. 2021 Recipient: Jianghong Meng

President’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Given at the discretion of the IAFP president to recognize an individual who has made a lasting impact on “Advancing Food Safety Worldwide” through a lifetime of professional achievement in food protection. 2021 Recipient: Carl Custer

Honorary Life Membership Award

The Honorary Life Membership Award recognizes IAFP members for their dedication to the high ideals and objectives of the International Association for Food Protection and for dedicated service to the Association. 2021 Recipients: Kenneth Anderson, Mickey Parish, Judy Greig, F. Tracy Schonrock, Edward Wellmeyer.

Harry Haverland Citation Award

$2,500 honorarium presented to an individual for years of devotion to the ideals and objectives of IAFP. Sponsored by Eurofins. 2021 Recipient: Dale A. Grinstead

Food Safety Innovation Award

$2,500 honorarium presented to an individual or organization for creating a new idea, practice, or product that has had a positive impact on food safety, thus, improving public health, and the quality of life. Sponsored by: Walmart. 2021 Recipient: Hygiena

International Leadership Award

$2,000 Honorarium and reimbursement to attend IAFP 2022. Presented to an individual for dedication to the high ideals and objectives of IAFP and for promotion of the mission of the Association in countries outside of the United States and Canada. Sponsored by: Food Safety Net Services (FSNS). 2021 Recipient: Terence L. T. Lau

Food Safety Award

$2,000 Honorarium. This award alternates between individuals and groups or organizations. In 2022, the award will be presented to a group or organization for highly significant food safety development or in recognition of a long history of outstanding contributions to food safety. Sponsored by: Consumer Brands Association (CBA). 2021 Recipient: The Center for Produce Safety

Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award

$2,000 Honorarium. Presented to an individual, group or organization for preeminence and outstanding contributions in research that impacts food safety attributes of freezing. Sponsored by: Frozen Food Foundation. 2021 Recipient: Shyam Sablani

Institut Merieux Young Investigator Award in Antimicrobial Resistance

Payment of €10,000 to support further research work by the laureate. Presented at the IAFP Annual Meeting to an active IAFP Member who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise as a researcher in food microbiology/food safety, focusing on antimicrobial resistance. Sponsored by: Institut Merieux. 2021 Recipient: Laura Carroll

Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award

$2,000 Honorarium. Presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the laboratory, recognizing a commitment to the development of innovative and practical analytical approaches in support of food safety. Sponsored by: The Fred and Elizabeth Weber Trust. 2021 Recipient: Panagiotis N. Skandamis

Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award

$2,000 Honorarium. Presented to a young researcher who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise in the early years of their career. Sponsored by: bioMérieux Inc. 2021 Recipient: Laura K. Strawn

James M. Jay Diversity in Food Safety Award

Recognizes an active IAFP Member who has made significant contributions toward fostering diversity within food safety-related careers, activities, or research. The award consists of a plaque and a $2,500 honorarium. Sponsored by: 3M Food Safety. 2021 Recipient: Armitra Jackson-Davis

Ewen C.D. Todd Control of Foodborne Illness Award

$1,500 Honorarium. Presented to an individual for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the reduction of risks to foodborne illness. Sponsored by: Marler Clark Attorneys at Law. 2021 Recipient: Craig W. Hedberg

Sanitarian Award

$1,500 Honorarium. Presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the profession of the Sanitarian. Sponsored by Ecolab Inc.: 2021 Recipient: Richard Brouillette

Elmer Marth Educator Award

$1,500 Honorarium. Presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the arena of education in food safety and food protection. Sponsored by: Nelson-Jameson, Inc. 2021 Recipient: Elizabeth A. Bihn

Harold Barnum Industry Award

$1,500 Honorarium. Presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP and the food industry. Sponsored by: MERCK Animal Health. 2021 Recipient: Melanie J. Neumann

Travel Award for Food Safety Professionals in a Country with a Developing Economy

Travel funds to attend the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection. Presented to food safety professionals working full-time in the field of food safety in a country with a developing economy. Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation. 2021 Recipients: Kubir Nath Bhattarai, Titilayo Falade, Amin Olaimat.

Travel Award for Health or Agricultural Department Employees in North America

Travel funds to attend the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection. Presented to city, county, state, or provincial health or agricultural department employees (epidemiologists, food and molecular microbiologists, and environmental health specialists) working in North America. Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation. 2021 Recipient: Jennifer Eberly

Student Travel Scholarship

Travel funds to attend the annual meeting of the International Association for Food Protection. IAFP recognizes that students from around the world are the future leaders in the field of food safety. Since 2004, the IAFP Foundation has been dedicated to enhancing the career potential of exceptional students through the annual IAFP Student Travel Scholarship Program. Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation. 2021 Recipients: Jessica Brown, Shiyu Cai, Bienvenido Cortes, Devin Daeschel, Adwoa Dankwa, Minh Duong, Marina Girbal, Sarah L. Jones, Karuna Kharel, Minji Kim, Brenda Moraa Kimang’a, Xingchen Liu, Ajay Mittal, Owade Joshua Ombaka, Solomon Rajkumar Racharla, Keshnee Reega, Anna Townsend, Joseph Wambui, Christina Wormald, Jiyoon Yi.

Peanut Proud Student Scholarship Award

Provides a $2,000 academic scholarship and travel funding for a U.S. graduate student in the field of food microbiology — and specifically in the area of and peanut butter food safety — to attend the annual meeting. Peanut Proud is a nonprofit industry organization based in Georgia. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Friday, April 30, 2021. Sponsored by: Peanut Proud. 2021 Recipient: Daniel Vega

J. Mac Goepfert Developing Scientists Awards

Presented to students (enrolled or recent graduates) in the field of food safety research at accredited universities or colleges. Qualified individuals may enter either the technical or poster competition. Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation.

Undergraduate Student Award Competition

Presented to two undergraduate students at accredited universities or colleges who have entered this poster competition, based on the criteria. Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation

Samuel J. Crumbine Award

From 1955 to 1966 two awards were given: the first for general environmental health, the second for food protection. From 1968 to 1973, the award was suspended because of a general lack of innovation in food protection programs during that period. The award is sponsored by the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), in cooperation with the American Academy of Sanitarians, American Public Health Association, Association of Food and Drug Officials, Food Marketing Institute, Foodservice Packaging Institute, International Association for Food Protection, National Association of County & City Health Officials, National Environmental Health Association, National Restaurant Association, NSF International, and Underwriters Laboratories. 2021 Recipient: Washoe County Health District 

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The webinar is titled “Making Leaders Risk Aware and Push to Reduce Risk” and will take place on Feb. 16, 2022, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. ET. 

The webinar will feature Nancy Wilson, Director of Quality Assurance, Risk Management and Safety at Wawa, and Randall Huffman, Chief Food Safety and Sustainability Officer at Maple Leaf Foods. 

At the Nov. 2021 inaugural session, there were more than 1,400 attendees. The series will engage experts from the public and private sectors in a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences related to the importance of a robust food safety culture in helping to ensure safe food production.  

FDA officials say the series will have valuable information for those well-versed and those just learning about food safety culture.

Food safety culture is one of the core elements in FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, which states that dramatic improvements in reducing the burden of foodborne illness cannot be made without doing more to influence the beliefs, attitudes, and, most importantly, the behaviors of people and the actions of organizations. 

More about this webinar, including how to register, can be found here.

About STOP

Stop Foodborne Illness is a public health non-profit organization. Since 1994, it has focused efforts on telling the “WHY” of food safety with personal advocate stories. “We are a small but mighty team of six and work tirelessly to end illness and death due to something as basic as eating because we are all at risk of foodborne illness,” according to the group’s website.

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Bob Whitaker will present his recent series of articles entitled “The Future of Produce Safety: Of This I am Certain . . .” The presentation is the kickoff presentation of a USDA grant awarded to the College of the Sequoias to promote Produce (Food) Safety in the San Joaquin Valley.

Whitaker is a speaker and consultant in food safety and technology. He retired from the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) in 2020 after 12 years as its Chief Science and Technology Officer. Before PMA, Whitaker served for a decade as vice president of Operations and Food Safety for NewStar Fresh Foods, a grower, shipper, processor in Salinas, CA.

Whitaker started his career in biotechnology at DNA Plant Technology joining as a postdoctoral scientist and becoming vice president of Product Development over his 16-year career there, participating in the development of many new fruit and vegetable varieties.

There are a total of 50 seats available for lunch at the Visalia Convention Center, which includes lunch and the chance to network with other food safety professionals. 

The event is free, whether at the convention center or remotely. It is being funded by the grant to spread the food safety message in the San Joaquin Valley. 

To sign up for the event, click here.

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Attendees will join thousands of food safety professionals from around the world for three days of sharing, learning and networking. Attendees range from academics to industry professionals to government regulators.

Each year, the IAFP hosts an Annual Meeting, providing attendees with information on current and emerging food safety issues, the latest science, innovative solutions to new and recurring problems, and the opportunity to network with thousands of food safety professionals from around the globe. Held in various locations throughout North America, this meeting has grown over the years to become the leading food safety conference worldwide. 

In a usual year, the IAFP Annual Meeting is attended by about 4,000 of the top industry, academic and governmental food safety professionals from six continents. The event is known for the quantity, quality, and diversity of each year’s program; the quality and relevance of exhibits sharing the latest in available technologies; leading experts speaking on a variety of timely topics; and special recognition of outstanding professionals and students for their contributions in the food safety field.

The IAFP officials say the non-profit organization is committed to producing a high-quality program, including presentations, general sessions, symposia, poster exhibits and award recognitions.

To register, click here.

Registration includes:

• Program Book 
• Ivan Parkin Lecture 
• Technical Sessions
• Poster Presentations • Symposia 
• Roundtables 
• Exhibit Hall Admittance 
• John H. Silliker Lecture 
• Award Presentations

The association encourages its members to apply for the travel expense awards for employees of state or provincial health or agricultural departments in North America. There is also an IAFP travel award for food safety professionals in a country with a developing economy to attend the IAFP annual meeting and conference. Student travel scholarship criteria is available on the IAFP students’ page.

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Busta is the director emeritus of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD; now Food Protection & Defense Institute) and Professor Emeritus of food microbiology at the University of Minnesota.

He was named the first director of NCFPD in 2004. Previously, he held faculty positions at the University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University and the University of Florida. He served as chair of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition from 1984 to 1987 at the University of Florida and head of the Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Minnesota, from 1987 to 1997.

Busta’s research areas are in food safety, growth and survival of microorganisms after environmental stress in food, microbial ecology, and food defense. He has published more than 125 refereed research papers. He has served as Chief Technology adviser on a UNDP project in China on agri-processing within the WTO framework. He retired in 2002 from the International Commission on the Microbiological Specifications for Food after 15 years of service.

Busta is a fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST, in the UK), of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) and of the Academy of the International Union of Food Science and Technology.

He received the IAFP Honorary Life Membership Award in 2009 and gave the Silliker Lecture at IAFP in 2015. He received the IFT Calvert L. Willey Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and the Myron Solberg Award from IFT in 2017.

He chaired the Food Forum of the Institute of Medicine in the National Academies from 2011 to 2014. He was president of IFT in 1995–1996. Dr. Busta served as Senior Science adviser to NCFPD from 2007 to 2014. He is a Certified Food Scientist (IFT), a Registered Scientist (IFST), and a Registered Specialist in Food, Dairy, and Sanitation Microbiology (National Registry of Microbiologists, AAM). He received his B.A. and M.Sc. from the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

The Food Safety Magazine Distinguished Service Award, established in 2003, honors individuals who best exemplify the characteristics of the dedicated food safety professional. Those honored are recognized by members of the profession for their collective works in promoting or advancing science-based solutions for food safety issues.

Past recipients of the award include Reginald Bennett, M.Sc., Dane Bernard, M.Sc., Larry Beuchat, Ph.D., Robert L. Buchanan, Ph.D., John N. Butts, Ph.D., Darin Detwiler, Ph.D., Keith Ito, Allen Katsuyama, Connie Kirby, M.Sc., John W. Larkin, Ph.D., Huub Lelieveld, Barbara Masters, D.V.M., Ann Marie McNamara, Ph.D., Theodora Morille-Hinds, M.Sc., William Sperber, Ph.D., Steve Taylor, Ph.D., David Theno, Ph.D., Bruce Tompkin, Ph.D., and Don L. Zink, Ph.D.

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Attendees of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Conference are set to meet March 23 to 25 with the theme “Rethink, Reset, Recharge.” Ticket prices range from €299 to €599 excluding VAT ($356 to $714) for registrations until March 18 and rise after this date.

The conference agenda includes COVID-19, supply chain disruption and public health, building trust and transparency with consumers, best practices, and technologies for the future food safety.

Building consumer trust
Speakers include industry experts and academics, CEOs, public authorities, and grassroots professionals.

Representatives from Amazon, HelloFresh, The Coca-Cola Co., Mars Inc., Cargill, Target, PepsiCo, Walmart, Queen’s University Belfast, Georgia University of Technology, and the World Health Organization are among the scheduled presenters.

Erica Sheward, director of the GFSI, said food safety is everyone’s business, and it is important to work together to build consumers’ trust in the food they buy.

“Collaboration to ensure safe food for consumers everywhere and sustainable food systems has never been more critical — and this event provides a major opportunity to learn from an unprecedented period and move forwards in the best possible way,” she said.

GFSI has set up online networking features to help attendees establish new connections and strengthen existing relationships. Attendees will be able to create personalized virtual versions of themselves, which they can move around a 3D site.

The event also includes sessions such as “Ask GFSI” panels on the final day, for the first time giving attendees the chance to pose questions for the GFSI leadership.

GFSI, part of the Consumer Goods Forum, was created by industry in 2000 to find solutions to collective problems, such as reducing food safety risks, audit duplication, and costs while building trust in the supply chain.

World Food Safety Day webinar
GFSI has also scheduled a webinar with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Codex Alimentarius on the role of public-private partnerships in global food safety.

The one-hour webinar set for March 11 will explore the importance of the third World Food Safety Day scheduled for June 7, 2021.

Speakers include Sheward; Markus Lipp, senior food safety officer at FAO; Sarah Cahill, senior food standards officer, Codex Secretariat; Maria Virginia Siebenrok, head of food safety and quality at the WFP; and Anne Gerardi, GFSI senior project manager, The Consumer Goods Forum.

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“COVID-19 has us shining a spotlight on home meal preparation, hand hygiene and food delivery,” said Shelley Feist, executive director of PFSE. “This event offers up new data points and new ideas for connecting with people on the importance of home hand hygiene and food safety.”

Attendees can earn continuing education units (CEUs) from the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and six other accreditors.

Sessions are designed to help attendees gain insight on compelling ways to support people at home to be consistent in reducing their risk of foodborne illness:

• Effective communication about handwashing, cleaning, sanitizing and the risks of cross-contamination at home;
• Risk communications lessons from multi-state foodborne outbreaks;
• Family meals advocacy and support;
• Health communications programming in the absence of in-person events; and
• Food safety education and social media in the era of COVID-19.

Conference co-chairs Steven Mandernach, executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), and Cindy Jiang, senior director of global risk management for the McDonald’s Corp., will kick off the three afternoons of programming with a live session March 10 featuring federal agency leaders addressing food safety and the health of Americans.

Participating Federal officials include:

• Carter Blakey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, on Health People 2030 goals in food safety
• Paul Kiecker, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, on addressing consumer handling of meat and poultry products
• Robert Tauxe, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on stresses and impacts of the pandemic on foodborne disease tracking
• Frank Yiannas, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on looking ahead to improving consumer education in a New Era of Smarter Food Safety, the FDA’s blueprint for food safety in the future

The conference brings together health educators from across the United States to collaborate on behavior change as critical to reducing rates of foodborne illness in the United States. Other speakers include:

• Sally Lyons Wyatt of IRi presents Consumer Food Trends and the Path Forward where she’ll share current data on consumer food purchasing and home food preparation during the COVID 19 pandemic.  She’ll also talk about what food purchasing trends might stick when people become more mobile later in 2021.
• A March 12 morning session, Food Delivery — Key Insights and Consumer Education, looks at new research by PFSE and others on household food delivery options, and previews an initiative to support people in handling delivered foods safely.
• Michael Kalish and Charlie Kalish – The Cheese Twins – combine humor, serious food safety talk, and a virtual cheese tasting at a March 11 session, There’s a Hole in My Cheese and Other Things to Complain About: A Food Safety Perspective. 

The complete conference program can be found here.

The conference is supported in part by BAC Fighter Community Connectors, Amazon, Beef Checkoff, International Association for Food Protection, and USDA’s FSIS.

About the Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE)
The PFSE is a U.S. leader in advancing dialogue and program collaborations that improve people’s access to actionable solutions for reducing the risk of foodborne illness for themselves and their families.

Contributors to this food poisoning prevention work are Amazon, Cargill, FMI Foundation and NSF International, among several others representing the food industry, consumer groups, scientific and professional associations. A full list of contributors can be found here.

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The International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) symposium is set for a  virtual meeting on April 27 and 28. It is aimed at professionals from across Europe working in industry, government, and academia.

The call for symposium and roundtable submissions and abstracts closed on Jan. 19. The conference provides a platform for the latest developments and techniques in food science and safety.

The 2020 edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In December, IAFP decided to make the 2021 event, originally planned to be in Munich, an online symposium.

Register on or before April 6 to receive the early rate of €195 ($237) for non-members, €145 ($176) for members and €30 ($36) for a students. After this date, the price is €245 ($297) for non-members, €195 ($237) for members and €40 ($49) for students.

The organizing committee includes Helen Taylor, chairperson, from Cardiff Metropolitan University; Anett Winkler, vice chairperson, from Cargill; Lisa O’Connor at the Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Peter Ben Embarek of the World Health Organization; and Jeffrey LeJeune from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Related IAFP news
Meanwhile, the annual United Kingdom Association for Food Protection (UKAFP) Conference is planned for March 12.

The theme of the free meeting is “Global Food Safety in the COVID-19 Era.” Speakers include Professor Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University; Roger Cook, of the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries; Professor Donald Schaffner of Rutgers University; and Rebecca Sudworth, director of policy at the Food Standards Agency.

UKAFP is an affiliate member of IAFP and ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Finally, the seventh International Food Safety Congress planned for June 3 to 4 in Istanbul has been postponed until June 9 to 10, 2022, because of the coronavirus pandemic. It had originally been set for June 2020 but was rescheduled because of the outbreak.

The Turkish Food Safety Association organizes the Food Safety Congress event with IAFP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey.

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Peter Ben Embarek gave the John H. Silliker Lecture on this final day of the International Association for Food Protection’s (IAFP) annual conference and meeting.

When asked what was keeping him up at night, Ben Embarek said for the past few months it has been COVID-19 while on a previous occasion it was the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).

“Even though it is a public health issue, it is an infectious disease, it also has a food-related element. They are both linked to how we are producing food. They both started in these environments where animals and humans are closely interacting in the process of producing food animals.”

Evolving COVID-19 situation
Ben Embarek said when Switzerland was locked down earlier this year the only shops open were pharmacies and supermarkets.

“This shows how critically important it was and still is to maintain our food supply, to make sure people still have access to food even though everything else is shut down. At that time it was clear that we needed to have guidance, recommendations, and tools to help industry and national food safety authorities to keep our food supply running and make sure we kept workers throughout the food production chain healthy. This guidance, after a few months, is already in need of updating showing how fast our understanding and knowledge around COVID is evolving.”

Another important element was the need to understand to what extent the virus can survive on food surfaces and food.

“We know it survives on frozen and refrigerated food and when these products are moving in international trade they start to create a problem as we have seen in recent months, in particular in China. There are regular findings of frozen imported products contaminated with the virus and they are taking trade measures against these products,” said Ben Embarek.

“It is true in many instances it is probably only the RNA we are detecting but apparently in some instances, viable viruses are also found and we know from experimental studies that the virus doesn’t lose viability during the freezing period of several weeks corresponding to normal trading patterns in international commerce.

“Another concerning element is in August, the Chinese CDC announced the conclusions of investigations into one of their largest outbreaks in Beijing in June where they had some 800 cases linked to a wholesale market. They concluded the virus was introduced through the frozen goods brought into the market. We haven’t seen any details from this investigation and to what extent transmission could have happened. We have to be a bit cautious and even if there it is not a huge risk or problem, we need to better understand what is happening under these conditions where we are handling frozen and refrigerated products in wet and humid environments.”

Same pathogens, different products
Ben Embarek also runs the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN).

“The trends we have seen in recent years is an increase in events involving traditional pathogens in new commodities such as outbreaks linked to fruits, vegetables, salads and increasingly they involve frozen berries being traded internationally,” he said.

“These are quite interesting because with new technologies and agricultural know-how berries are being produced cheaply all over the planet in places where hygiene and attention to water quality and irrigation are perhaps not what it should be. It illustrates the changes we are seeing in world production and the spread of production technologies without having the associated spread of tight control and high hygiene standards and that is unfortunately what is characterizing the food safety picture today. This disconnect between capacities to produce almost anything everywhere without having the associated high level of food control.”

The use of whole-genome sequencing helped in understanding the large South African Listeria outbreak in 2017 and 2018, said Ben Embarek.

“Without the use of this technology we would have had a much larger outbreak and it would have been much more difficult, and perhaps impossible, to find the source. At the same time as this large outbreak was unfolding, the country was also having a number of smaller outbreaks in the background with different strains of Listeria linked to different products. Without the use of WGS it would have been difficult to disentangle these different outbreaks from the large one and identify the source,” he said.

“It is not going to be the technology that will solve everything in the future but it will help detect and solve outbreaks much faster. Finding the source of an outbreak helps us understand what went wrong and each time we have that information we can correct and learn from these errors and problems we were not aware of in raw materials and processes. It will help us slowly build a safer food safety environment. It is true we will still need food microbiologists and people able to culture bacteria to understand the biology of bacteria and viruses in food and the environment.”

Food safety is not like selling T-shirts
Certain food safety regulators, producers, and researchers are learning from these events but there is a large group that doesn’t seem to be learning anything, said Ben Embarek.

“Clearly there are too many cowboys out there producing and distributing food that should not be allowed to do that because managing food hygiene and safety is something that requires a certain level of understanding of the problems and seriousness of dealing with these things,” he said.

“It is not like producing a T-shirt where if you cut corners and the consumer is not happy with your T-shirt it will last three months and next time he or she will not buy the same T-shirt but you will still be producing T-shirts and no harm will have been done.

“If you cut corners when producing the food you might end up killing somebody or someone’s baby and that is far more serious. Unfortunately, we seem to have the same laissez-faire attitude towards allowing who can produce and who cannot and that is something that will and must change, we cannot continue to have that type of dual level of seriousness in the way we produce food. We are in a globalized environment where any food product can end up on any table around the globe.”

There also needs to be a way of engaging different stakeholders, according to Ben Embarek.

“Food producers are sitting on an enormous goldmine of information through all the data they are generating compared to national authorities, inspection services, and research institutions. The bulk of the data is with industry and unfortunately, that goldmine is not being tapped, we are just throwing away all this data after it is used for the purpose for which they are generated and we forget that if we combine with data generated elsewhere and by others we could have a better understanding of our food environment.

“We are still, in 2020, in the dark when we look at our food supply and environments, we have small windows of light here and there where we have a semi ok understanding of what is in our food and how it is evolving in terms of hazards and risks but the vast majority of information is not visible.”

Ben Embarek also spoke about the challenges involved in feeding a growing world population, food waste, food production by robots, and changing diets with a move away from meat.

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Below is a list of the 2020 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Award recipients. You can learn more about this year’s recipients and the history behind each award by watching their videos. The IAFP says it is proud to honor its 2020 awardees and recognizes their accomplishments with these short video presentations.

Black Pearl Award
Presented in recognition of a company’s outstanding achievement in corporate excellence in food safety and quality.
Sponsored by: F&H Food Equipment Company

Recipient:
Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc, Ontario, California

Fellows Award
Presented to Member(s) who have contributed to IAFP and its Affiliates with distinction over an extended period of time.

Recipients:
Robert Buchanan, Mickey Parish

President’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Given at the discretion of the IAFP President to recognize an individual who has made a lasting impact on “Advancing Food Safety Worldwide” through a lifetime of professional achievement in food protection.

Recipient:
Dallas G. Hoover

Honorary Life Membership Award
Recognizes IAFP members for their dedication to the high ideals and objectives of the International Association for Food Protection and for dedicated service to the Association.

Recipients:
Patrice Arbault (posthumously), Jeffrey M. Farber, Judy Harrison, Allen R. Sayler, Peter J. Slade, Mary Lou Tortorello

Harry Haverland Citation Award
Includes $2,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for years of devotion to the ideals and objectives of IAFP.
Sponsored by: Eurofins

Recipient:
Gary R. Acuff

Food Safety Innovation Award
Includes $2,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual or organization for creating a new idea, practice, or product that has had a positive impact on food safety, thus, improving public health, and the quality of life.
Sponsored by: Walmart Food Safety Collaboration Center

Recipient:
Clear Labs

International Leadership Award
Includes $2,000 honorarium and reimbursement to attend IAFP 2020 and is presented to an individual for dedication to the high ideals and objectives of IAFP and for promotion of the mission of the Association in countries outside of the United States and Canada.

Recipient:
Norma Heredia

Food Safety Award
Includes $2,000 honorarium. This award alternates between individuals and groups or organizations. In 2020, the award will be presented to an individual for highly significant food safety development or in recognition of a long history of outstanding contributions to food safety.
Sponsored by: GMA

Recipient:
Joseph Stout

Frozen Food Foundation Freezing Research Award
Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to an individual, group, or organization for preeminence and outstanding contributions in research that impacts food safety attributes of freezing.
Sponsored by:  Frozen Food Foundation

Recipient:
Claire Zoellner

Institut Merieux Young Investigator Award in Antimicrobial Resistance
Includes payment of €10,000 to support further research work by the laureate and is presented at the IAFP Annual Meeting to an active IAFP Member who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise as a researcher in food microbiology/food safety, focusing on antimicrobial resistance.
Sponsored by: Institut Merieux

Recipient:
Shivaramu Keelara

Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award
Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the laboratory, recognizing a commitment to the development of innovative and practical analytical approaches in support of food safety.
Sponsored by: Weber Scientific

Recipient:
Donald W. Schaffner

Larry Beuchat Young Researcher Award
Includes $2,000 honorarium and is presented to a young researcher who has shown outstanding ability and professional promise in the early years of their career.
Sponsored by: bioMérieux, Inc.

Recipient:
Si Hong Park

Ewen C.D. Todd Control of Foodborne Illness Award
Includes $1,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for dedicated and exceptional contributions to the reduction of risks to foodborne illness.
Sponsored by: Marler Clark Attorneys at Law

Recipient:
Jeffrey M. Farber

Sanitarian Award
Includes $1,500 Honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP, and the profession of the Sanitarian.
Sponsored by: Sponsored by Ecolab Inc.

Recipient:
Rick J. Heiman

Elmer Marth Educator Award
Includes $1,500 honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP, and the arena of education in food safety and food protection.
Sponsored by: Nelson-Jameson, Inc.

Recipient:
Lynn M. McMullen

Harold Barnum Industry Award
Includes $1,500 Honorarium and is presented to an individual for outstanding service to the public, IAFP, and the food industry.
Sponsored by: MERCK Animal Health

Recipient:
Andrew James Clarke

John H. Silliker Lecturer
The John H. Silliker Lecture was established by Silliker Inc. (now Merieux NutriSciences) in 2004 to recognize the achievements of Dr. Silliker through the practical application of scientific principles to improve food protection.  The John H. Silliker Lecture provides an avenue for recognized experts to present important and timely information on topics of significance to food protection at the IAFP Annual Meeting.
Dr. Silliker established Silliker Laboratories in 1967 and grew the network of laboratories to more than 70 locations in 18 countries.  Dr. Silliker was committed to making meaningful contributions to food safety outside the confines of his laboratory. He was an early proponent of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system; developed the revolutionary concept of using sponges to collect environmental samples in food plants; and testified at congressional hearings that resulted in the passage of landmark food safety legislation.
The John H. Silliker Lecturer is selected by a committee including a representative from Merieux NutriSciences, the Program Committee Chairperson, and the IAFP President.

Recipient:
Peter K. Ben Embarek

Travel Award for Food Safety Professionals in a Country with a Developing Economy
Presented to food safety professionals working full-time in the field of food safety in a country with a developing economy.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation

Recipients:
Kolawole Banwo, A.L.Chathudina Janitha Liyanage, Muhammad Bilal Sadiq

Travel Award for State or Provincial Health or Agricultural Department Employees
Presented to state or provincial health or agricultural department employees (epidemiologists, food and molecular microbiologists, and environmental health specialists) working in North America.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation

Recipients:
Dietrich Blum, Veronica Bryant, Leslie Cobb, Taryn Hurley, Temesgen Jemaneh, Kendra Kilawee

Student Travel Scholarship
IAFP recognizes that students from around the world are the future leaders in the field of food safety. Since 2004, the IAFP Foundation has been dedicated to enhancing the career potential of exceptional students through the annual IAFP Student Travel Scholarship Program.
Sponsored by: IAFP Foundation

Recipients:
Cameron Bardsley, Brianna Britton, Alessia Delbrück, Erika Estrada, Savana Everhart, Emily Forauer, Ahmed Gomaa, Marti Hua, Xingyi Jiang, Xinyu Liao, Claire Marik, Francis Muchaamba, Kizito Nishimwe, Duke Gekonge Omayio, Katie Overbey, Angélica Godínez Oviedo, Dacil Rivera, Thiago Sugizaki dos Santos, Mathilde Trudel-Ferland, Ingrid Zamora

Peanut Proud Student Scholarship Award
The Peanut Proud Student Scholarship Award Provides a $2,000 academic scholarship and travel funding for a U.S. graduate student in the field of food microbiology – and specifically in the area of and peanut butter food safety – to attend the Annual Meeting. Peanut Proud is a nonprofit industry organization based in Georgia.
Sponsored by: Peanut Proud

Recipient:
Hyeon Woo Park

CB. Shogren Memorial Award
Includes $500 Honorarium and is presented to the Affiliate demonstrating exceptional overall achievement in promoting the mission of the International Association for Food Protection (“to provide food safety professionals worldwide with a forum to exchange information on protecting the food supply”).

Recipient:
Florida Association for Food Protection

Samuel J. Crumbine Award
From 1955 to 1966 two awards were given: the first for general environmental health, the second for food protection. From 1968 to 1973, the award was suspended due to a general lack of innovation in food protection programs during that period.
Sponsored by: The award is sponsored by the Conference for Food Protection (CFP), in cooperation with the American Academy of Sanitarians, American Public Health Association, Association of Food and Drug Officials, Foodservice Packaging Institute, International Association for Food Protection, National Association of County & City Health Officials, National Environmental Health Association, NSF International, and Underwriters Laboratories

Recipient:
Southern Nevada Health District

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Emily Miles said the coronavirus pandemic has served as a reminder of the financial problems local authorities have had to contend with in recent years. The FSA chief executive spoke on day two of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) food safety conference, which runs through today. For highlights of day one click here.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report in 2019 found food hygiene staff numbers had declined about 13 percent relative to the number of businesses operating between 2012-13 and 2017-2018. The amount of food standards staff also fell by an estimated 45 percent.

A worsening situation
“Local authorities have told us the situation has continued to decline since the NAO report. At the start of this financial year, 80 percent of professional posts that local authorities needed to run their food services were allocated budget for 2020-21,” said Miles.

“So in other words, local authority food teams went into the pandemic already 20 percent below full strength and these stretched resources have been further depleted. It varies widely across the country but in England, over 40 percent of local authorities have lost 70 percent or more of staff in their food team to COVID-19 redeployment.

“The decisions CEO’s in local authorities are having to make week in week out with the pandemic are incredibly tough. I want to be clear to the relevant parts of government that there simply isn’t enough funding available for local authorities to carry out their duties on food safety and this poses a real risk to consumer protection. We want to protect the country’s ability to assure food safety and food standards and this is critical to public health and consumer safety but it is also vital for the food industry and our ability to export food abroad.”

Miles said history shows the impact of major foodborne disease incidents on the economy if food safety is not looked after.

“After the BSE crisis in the 1980s and 90s, the UK saw a complete loss of beef exports for 10 years with an annual value of £1.22 billion ($1.6 billion) in today’s prices and even after the EU export ban was repealed there was permanent damage to the UK beef export market,” she said.

“The size of that market in 2019 was half of that in 1995, which was pre the BSE export ban so if you get food safety wrong the impacts last for decades. Depleting regulatory resources now will have short and long term impacts that are extremely challenging to reverse. This is my message to the Treasury and others: prevention is cheaper than cure.”

Reasons for reform
There are two other reasons besides finances why reform of regulation is needed, said Miles.

“The first is from January 2021, the UK will be in charge of its food and feed law for the first time in nearly 50 years. It is not just about leaving the protection of the EU but how we are seen as a potential new trading partner by the rest of the world. About 90 percent of those regulations have been determined by Europe and whilst they won’t change on Jan. 1 we now have ability to take control and more scope for designing a system fit for the challenges we face.”

The FSA has separated risk assessment and risk management functions, doubled staff to 50 in risk analysis and added more than 300 academics to a list of experts it can call.

The second pressure is the pace of change in the industry, said Miles.

“We have seen changes in how food production has embraced digital technology, the changed relationship between the vendor and consumer, businesses have moved online and new platforms emerging has been accelerated by COVID-19. The current system has served us well. Environmental health officers and trading standards will continue to play a key role in ensuring businesses do the right thing. We need to make sure your limited resources are targeted at the areas of greatest risk,” she said.

“We did a blockchain pilot on traceability of meat from farm through to shop. What we found was people had the data and the technology worked but there wasn’t trust that the farmer should share their data with the retailer. That’s the problem we’ve got to solve so we are able to create more traceability and safety.”

The FSA has seen close to 20,000 new businesses register on its platform since the end of March and those operating from domestic settings have risen from 30 percent pre-COVID to 45 percent of new registrations in October.

Other areas being looked at are remote assessments that have been trialed during the pandemic, and will be evaluated to see how they can be used in the future. The agency is considering working with accredited third-party assurers and is still pushing mandatory food hygiene display in England. It is also developing a new food standards model with more intelligence led controls.

Seven principles of food integrity
Professor Chris Elliott, from the Institute for Global Food Security at Queens University Belfast, told attendees that the increase in the world’s population means we‘ve got to produce more food during the next 50 years than we did in the past 500.

Elliott spoke about seven principles of food integrity: food should be safe; authentic; nutritious; systems used to produce food should be sustainable; ethical; we have to respect and protect the environment and all those people who produce food.

Figures on foodborne illness released by the World Health Organization in 2015 showing almost 1 in 10 people globally fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420,000 die every year, could be an underestimate as they don’t factor in issues around changes to climate, according to Elliott.

He also talked about the large Listeria outbreak in 2017 and 2018 in South Africa, saying it potentially affected many more because contaminated polony went into Sub-Saharan Africa where it is very difficult to collate data about foodborne illness and food safety issues

“Food safety is a hot topic now in the UK because of all of the issues about Brexit. As we leave the EU, should we think about genetically modified in terms of making food safer? I hope FSA will lead the debate on this as some parts of the world think it is safe and in others it is thought to be unsafe.”

Elliott said he could give examples of food fraud in salt, the cheapest possible ingredient in food and saffron, the world’s most expensive ingredient.

“One of the areas we are focussing on is herbs and spices. We recently uncovered fraud in sage in the UK. One ton of very best prime beef is worth about £12,000 ($15,700) and one ton of sage is worth about £60,000 ($78,500). In sage we found the adulteration was up to about 50 percent. People are making an extra £60,000 a ton. The consequences of food fraud are lots of money can be made and lost. But we pick up issues where people get ill and die due to fraudulent activity in our food supply system.”

Elliott said budget cuts for sampling and testing could lead to a two-tier system in the UK.

“The big supermarkets and retailers do a phenomenal job of making sure our food is safe and authentic. But you’ve got the other side of the food industry, the SMEs who are buying from Cash and Carry’s, who are buying out of the back of white vans and that seems to be like the Wild West because there is nobody looking or checking that. When we uncovered the adulteration in sage, it was all in that sector of the market.”

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The first day of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) event, which runs through Friday, featured speakers from UKHospitality, DEFRA, Just Eat, and the Cold Chain Federation.

Lisa Ackerley, a food safety adviser to UKHospitality, said in the early days of the pandemic some of the immediate challenges concerned what to do with stock.

“There was a lot of food wastage and attempts to give it away. Those agile businesses that had seen this coming and become retail and takeaways almost overnight meant new systems had to be organized and people were having to review food safety management systems and do new processes such as delivery,” she said.

Focus on allergens
Different issues came up when re-opening, according to Ackerley.

“Environmental health practitioners in private practice have written guidance for someone and immediately it’s all changed and out of date. Businesses, enforcement officers, consultants and EHPs are having to be agile and flexible. Most people want to do the right thing but they need to know what that is. It is important there is feedback to government when guidance comes out. It is a period of great uncertainty for customers, businesses and for enforcement officers and consultants.”

Ackerley said supply disruption and substitution was particularly problematic in the beginning and Brexit coming up could be another problem. Other issues include a reduced menu and choice for those with allergies, vegans and vegetarians.

“One of the problems for those with allergies is there is less dialogue going on between the business and customer because of the way we are trying to keep our distance and that makes it slightly difficult for customers with allergies and there may also be less experienced staff. We mustn’t forget allergens, they must be high on the agenda,” Ackerley said.

The “normal stuff” such as pest control, food safety, legionella and licensing still worry businesses and enforcement officers as things can go wrong that have nothing to do with COVID-19.

Food safety and biocides
Darryl Thomson, chairman of the UKHospitality Food Experts Group, said there is a lot to be done even when a business is closed.

“You have to continue with the due diligence, a lot of food would have been frozen and wouldn’t have ordinarily been frozen, pest control, maintenance and security still need to be managed,” he said.

Thomson was asked about the impact of the pandemic on compliance.

“I asked this question of one of the large third-party auditors and they said they’ve not seen any noticeable change in observed non-conformances to date but what they did see early on was the safety management system were skewed towards COVID and left food safety a bit short, but that has been self-corrected. There have also been some improvements in cleaning standards.”

Speaking during a panel discussion, Ackerley said it was important not to forget about food safety in relation to reduction of biocides and she was in an UKHospitality group on this topic.

“We are looking at conflict between the need to reduce biocide residues in food because of pesticides and so on. Where we use chemicals such as chlorate in water that can cause a residue in food,” she said.

“This has stopped people using certain disinfectants which are critical for food safety, in particular for Listeria in short shelf life foods. It is this difficultly between what is a chemical contaminant and the conflict if you don’t have it there, of potentially having a food poisoning situation. We need to always keep balanced and not focus in on one issue as there are usually knock on effects.”

Just Eat’s approach
Steven Glass, global head of food safety at Just Eat, talked attendees through the impact of the lockdown in March and what has happened since then.

“It was severe, as more than a quarter of the restaurants we have on our marketplace went offline overnight. We saw close to 40 percent of orders drop off overnight. We did benefit from a V shaped recovery, by the end of that week we had bounced back to what we were two weeks before the lockdown,” he said.

“As a company this time last year we carried out 300,000 to 350,000 orders a day up and down the UK and that has leapt to about half a million orders per day. It sounds great and is but does come with huge challenges.”

Just Eat merged with Dutch food delivery firm Takeaway.com earlier this year and is in the process of joining with U.S.-based GrubHub. Just Eat operates in 23 countries and has about 47,000 restaurants in the United Kingdom on its marketplace compared to 35,000 this time in 2019.

A four-step support plan for partners included advice on continuing to trade legally and safely, securing PPE, more than 1,000 free COVID training sessions through its food hygiene partner NSF and materials to use in restaurants and online to help customers keep their distance and stay safe.

Just Eat deliveries are carried out mostly by restaurants but the plan is to employ drivers in the future in the UK. Last year, the firm took out zero rated premises on its sites.

“NSF were brought in to coach, train and audit a lot of those premises. A lot of them don’t necessarily want to engage with authority or another business telling them what to do so eventually we switched them off and we plan to go further with that,” said Glass.

“The first stage is making sure the new sign-ups have a minimum of a pass in Scotland or a food hygiene rating scheme score of 3 in the rest of the UK. We did relax that to include awaiting inspections and that still exists for standard food businesses that have a shop front and a history of trading. If you are a non-standard premise like a home caterer or a dark kitchen and are making food solely for delivery then we’ll accept you as awaiting inspection but only after our auditors have been on site and carried out an inspection.

“For existing businesses that are 1 and 2 rated we plan to follow the same approach. An improvement plan which we are in the middle of right now followed by a switch off date. It was supposed to happen in 2020 but we postponed it primarily because of coronavirus.”

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Epidemiology, regulatory, distribution, manufacturing, foodservice and retail sectors were represented.

Lee-Ann Jaykus, from North Carolina State University, spoke about the SARS-COV 2 virus in general, giving attendees the background and science  on the cause of the ongoing pandemic.

Jaykus said outbreaks have occurred in restaurants, at meat packing and processing plants and other manufacturing sites. Common themes include indoor settings, close face-to-face and extended contact; and poor ventilation in some cases.

On survivability, she said the big take home messages are it depends on the surface, the amount of organic matter associated with the virus and environmental condition.

“This virus can persist on surfaces for two days or it might be as long as a week, however, not as long as viruses like norovirus which can persist on surfaces for months. This surface persistence is driving the move to frequent disinfection. The virus is extremely sensitive to ultra violet light. It will only be stable for a few minutes in high UV concentration. In terms of disinfection, the ones that have been vetted scientifically are 1,000 parts per million chlorine and 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide for surface disinfection.”

Jaykus cited CDC, FDA, USDA, WHO and ICMSF statements saying there is no compelling evidence to date that SARS-COV 2 is transmitted by contaminated foods.

Retailer viewpoint
Glenn Stolowski, manager of retail quality assurance from HEB, spoke about pandemic response from a retailers perspective.

“You have to ensure your supply chain will be able to keep up with demand on key items during a pandemic. You’ll probably need multiple back up suppliers on those key items. Should you increase orders and warehouse inventory on those items. Do you have an emergency warehouse? From a regulatory perspective, if your stores are across multiple states and cities how will you comply with fragmented requirements and interpretations.”

Stolowski said having a written emergency response plan for pandemics is very important.

“It is important to have all of the key stakeholders involved in developing the plan. Operations, quality assurance, human resources, legal, security and loss prevention, supply chain, procurement, communications and public affairs are all key for us with our plan,” he said.

“What are the key product categories during a pandemic? Nobody could have foreseen bath tissue being such a critical category or dry yeast. How do you anticipate demand shifts and still provide product to the consumer? One option is to reduce assortment and get suppliers to increase production on those limited offerings and we did that with many of our suppliers.”

In Texas, it was helpful to have a printed copy of the action plan available at each store when the local health departments came for a visit, said Stolowski.

“We were able to show them our action plans and they were able to see it being performed. Reviewing the plans with health departments in advance can help you navigate any requirements open to interpretation. We also created checklists and audits to ensure the action plan was consistently executed.”

Stolowski said there had been many adjustments to the plan since March.

“During the peak of the pandemic in March and April we had to reduce hours of operation so that our supply chain and stockers had enough time to replenish shelves. We recently expanded back close to normal hours. Some of these changes may end up being permanent. I could see cart sanitization, hand sanitizer dispensation at store entrances and doing wipe downs of touch points becoming permanent changes.”

Foodservice angle
Jorge Hernandez, vice president of quality assurance at The Wendy’s Co., said the pandemic has been extremely disruptive to the foodservice industry.

“The pandemic is so disruptive and new, so no emergency plan could prepare us for it. We don’t have a playbook that tells us what to do. At the beginning of this we did not know enough about the spread, controls or actions you need to take. So it became critical that the team gelled to digest information available at the time and pivot into a response to protect employees, customers and the business,” he said.

However, there may be opportunities after the second half of the same problem, according to Hernandez.

“Is this the new normal I don’t know but I know when we come out of this event we will be very different than when we started. Things will remain beyond the pandemic that can make us safer, faster, more focused and in some cases can increase profitability for the long term.”

A tipping point for B2B firm
Joan Menke-Schaenzer, chief quality officer at Van Drunen Farms, said in the early days of the pandemic, the firm had a crisis management plan but it did not include how to respond to such an incident.

“There were unclear roles and responsibilities. We didn’t know who was on first and who was on second. The one principle we rallied around was how to keep employees safe each and every day. We created a command center: a small team of five people organized to be hub of information. We connected with a team of 25 others to cascade information down. We met daily to review what is happening internally and externally.”

Menke-Schaenzer said there was a tipping point for the company.

“As we were getting multiple positives in multiple plants which was prompting us to have to shut down lines and plants, we decided to test all onsite employees around Memorial Day. Understanding there would be asymptomatic folks and it was a (only) point in time but we needed to have that fundamental baseline . . . so we could know how to start up our plants.”

Public health system not designed to deal with such a crisis
Steve Mandernach, executive director at the Association of Food and Drug Officials, said COVID-19 had an unprecedented level of impact and it happened quite quickly.

“We had not experienced anything of this magnitude in public health for around 100 years. We learned very quickly we did not have enough information available. Our public health system is built for the average event,” Mandernach said. “It is not built for the 100 year event.”

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control was doing virtual food safety checks by the end of March and as of a month ago had completed 10,000 such verifications across the state, according to Mandernach.

He said there was a lack of clear, timely information from federal agencies such as FDA, CDC and OSHA. Insufficient expertise in areas such as retail foods or foodservice and a lack of coordination across the country and regularly between public health and food safety staff.

Some of the things that had worked, according to Mandernach, included industry collaboration with each other and trade associations to put together best practices, building of informal networks to get feedback and virtual inspections and reviews, such as pre-opening checks focussing on policy review that worked and will be continuing to increase efficiency.

However, he said other things didn’t work, such as the inability for federal agencies to get out guidance in a clear and timely manner, a lack of consistency between jurisdictions and politics determining public health policy.

The Food Safety Summit began virtually today and runs through Thursday. Registered attendees can explore, learn, and interact with other participants by logging into the virtual atmosphere. Click here to register and gain access.

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The second UN World Food Safety Day in June saw initiatives reshaped for a “new normal” that looks set to affect food safety and food systems for the foreseeable future.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the report at the opening of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It details 100 activities, events and campaigns held in more than 60 countries and mentions coverage by Food Safety News.

Experts in Asia-Pacific held a webinar, the Pan American Center for Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Veterinary Public Health and Caribbean Public Health Agency shared their perspectives while a Facebook live session was set up by FAO and WHO.

WHO’s regional director for Africa and the Regional Office for Europe offered different geographical opinions and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) hosted a Twitter Q&A.

Coronavirus focus
Food safety experts from international and national organizations, educators and businesses discussed topics such as “COVID-19 and food safety and quality in the world,” organized by Chile’s Food Safety and Quality Agency (ACHIPIA). Experts said several food safety measures also align with COVID-19 precautions such as handwashing and hygiene.

About half of several dozen webinars concentrated on how COVID-19 has changed the food production and safety landscape. Other COVID-related sessions were held by authorities in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.

COVID-19 forced postponement of a charity run in Germany that was part of a campaign promoting food safety, good nutrition and physical fitness. It is now planned for 2021.

The pandemic also influenced the ways in which food is produced, transported and marketed. Director Generals of FAO and WHO mentioned the role of food workers in ensuring people continue to have access to safe food.

The #WorldFoodSafetyDay hashtag appeared on Twitter an average of 624 times per day in the first two weeks of June. In this period, 78 percent of the tweets that included #WorldFoodSafetyDay were supportive or made a positive reference to the day.

Global input and plans for 2021
WHO and FAO focused the campaign on five calls to action to highlight how everyone can help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks. These were, ensure it’s safe; grow it safe; keep it safe; eat it safe; and team up for safety. A theme of “safe foods in markets” was introduced to show what governments, producers, vendors and consumers can do to ensure healthy food markets.

Qatar presented the initial draft of an Arab food safety policy during a World Food Safety Day webinar in that country. Suriname’s government linked activities with the ongoing EU-funded FAO initiative, Suriname Agriculture Market Access Project.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare focused on food hygiene measures by highlighting the HACCP approach to safe food, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).

The emphasis of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic was on training food inspectors and entrepreneurs in a workshop while Luxembourg’s government ran a national food safety quiz.

Looking ahead to the third World Food Safety Day in 2021, the build-up will have started for the UN Food Systems Summit, which will offer the opportunity to consider the role food safety can play in food systems at a global, regional, national and local level and how it intersects with health, food security, climate change, economic inclusion, antimicrobial resistance and trade.

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“Join thousands of food safety professionals from around the world for three days of sharing, learning, and networking – safely and remotely,” association officials said in a news release.

When the Annual Meeting was rescheduled from August to October, it was hoped that the United States and the world would experience a decrease in COVID-19 infection rates. Because of the continued spread of coronavirus and the persistent pandemic, the IAFP Executive Board moved the event online to protect the health and safety of IAFP Members and Annual Meeting attendees. 

Anyone who has already registered for the annual conference and meeting and plans to attend the event in October will automatically be registered for the new dates.

After continued attempts to hold IAFP 2020 as an in-person Annual Meeting, the IAFP Executive Board agreed to move to a virtual platform for this year.

In a usual year, the IAFP Annual Meeting is attended by more than 3,800 of the top industry, academic and governmental food safety professionals from six continents.

The event is known for the quantity, quality, and diversity of each year’s program; the quality and relevance of exhibits sharing the latest in available technologies; leading experts speaking on a variety of timely topics; and special recognition of outstanding professionals and students for their contributions in the food safety field.

The IAFP says it is committed to producing a high-quality program in the virtual setting, including presentations, general sessions, exhibits, and award recognitions. After-hour options are being planned to offer conversation and networking opportunities.

Registration Includes:

• Program Book
• Ivan Parkin Lecture
• Technical Sessions
• Poster Presentations
• Symposia
• Roundtables
• Exhibits
• Networking
• John H. Silliker Lecture
• Presentation of Awards

To register for the event, visit this page.

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The “COVID-19 & Food Safety Global Summit” was organized by the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). David Tharp, executive director of IAFP, and Bill Marler, managing partner at Marler Clark LLP PS, welcomed attendees from around the world to the webinar.

The first session involved a global perspective followed by regional specific presentations from Europe, the United States and China.

Markus Lipp, head of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Safety and Quality Unit, said there has been no observation of transmission of COVID-19 through food.

“COVID-19 is not considered to be a food safety issue. What we have seen is trade disturbances through import and export blocks by various countries. There are a number of other events that threaten food security and our supply chains.”

Unlike any other crisis
Lipp said there have been coronavirus cases in a range of settings including food workers in informal markets and meat packing plants in the U.S. and Germany. Because these people are ill and have to stay home, this is a reason for disruption of food supply chains.

“The end of current social protection plans and increased social assistance programs will put a huge strain on the budgets of countries around the world. Rising unemployment, income loss and rising food costs will jeopardize access in the developing and developed countries,” he said.

“The current situation is unlike any other food or health crisis in modern times as simultaneously the supply and demand part of the economy received shocks that were global in nature. These are challenging times. Our food security is at risk for people in developed and developing countries, however there is a larger impact on developing countries. We need to work together to make sure food security will remain for everybody.”

In June, the World Bank estimated COVID-19 could push anywhere from 71 million to 100 million people into extreme poverty in 2020. The United Nations predicted 49 million extra people may fall into extreme poverty due to the crisis. The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimated in April that world merchandise trade in 2020 could fall by as much as 32 percent.

Risk-based controls and FDA’s response
Gudrun Gallhoff, Minister Counsellor for health and food safety, Delegation of the European Union to China, said goods, packages and other surfaces have not shown to be a particular risk of COVID-19.

“A risk-based approach allocates resources to high risk and maximum impact activities. This is important with COVID-19 as you have to balance new risks with existing ones. This includes rearranging processes or taking special measures if the disease is spreading as people cannot work in the normal way.”

Gallhoff said the biggest risk to food safety for COVID-19 is the neglect of planned control activities.

“While you have to always prioritize food safety controls you must appreciate you cannot inspect in the same way. Many of us are doing inspections via audio and you have to adapt your processes accordingly. There might be new risks arising through process modifications and substitution of ingredients.”

Gallhoff said this may compromise food security as certain foods and ingredients are not there anymore.

“Supply chains are blocked. In Europe we had this problem particularly in the beginning of COVID-19. Just adding other certification requirements or stopping certain products at the border is not the way of dealing with it. So we have to work in a flexible manner keeping the well-established processes we had before as far as we can but introducing new ways of dealing with the challenge by reacting on the knowledge we get about the disease and about the changed resources.”

Communication is also a challenge, according to Gallhoff.

“We have to introduce transparency of why certain methods are taken and what reasons are behind them to convince people that things have to be done this way under the current circumstances. It is also important to document the changed ways to learn, so that one sees a measure was successful or it wasn’t successful and you have to change it again. We learn every day new information about how the virus transmits, we hope to learn where it comes from and then we can prevent pandemics in the future with these insights.”

LeeAnne Jackson, CFSAN Food Lead – 2019 novel coronavirus FDA incident management group, said the pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for the agency.

“Unprecedented consumer demand and changes in distribution patterns have led to temporary spot shortages of certain commodities. The temporary closure of restaurants, schools, and entertainment venues left many food producers without their normal paths to the marketplace resulting in a surplus of food that needed to be diverted to grocery and retail settings,” she said.

“During our response to the pandemic one of the lessons we’ve learned is a crisis of such unprecedented magnitude requires federal, state and local governments, the food industry and academia working together. We are encouraged to see that for the most part food facilities and farms under FDA’s jurisdiction continue to operate and we do not anticipate the Defense Production Act authority will need to be invoked.”

In March, FDA temporarily postponed routine on-site surveillance inspections.

“We’ve continued to conduct mission critical inspections when there has been a potential risk to public health. We’ve also been working to determine the best way and most appropriate time to resume safe domestic inspections and other associated activities by FDA staff,” said Jackson.

Market outbreak in China
Chen Junshi, chief scientific advisor at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, discussed a COVID-19 outbreak at Xinfadi agricultural market which involved 368 people.

“There are two possible sources of transmission. One is from people to people and the other is from food to people. We only know it is not from local people based on DNA sequencing of the virus. The other possible source is food to person transmission because there were multiple positive samples in this market including the chopping board for salmon, raw food samples including meat and environmental samples. Investigations are still going on, there is no direct evidence of either possible source.”

The impact involved closure of Xinfadi market and all seafood and meat being destroyed. Sale of salmon and other seafood by supermarkets and restaurants in Beijing was suspended while sampling and testing on imported seafood and meat began. Confusing media reports led to consumer concern about buying, cooking and eating seafood. Nucleic acid positive samples from an Ecuador white shrimp package added to the weight of speculation, said Chen.

He said effective communications from the beginning of any crisis is needed and regulatory control measures should be science-based.

“Further research is needed to determine whether there are live SARS-CoV-2 virus in nucleic acid positive food samples as well as the amount of live virus on the contaminated food to establish the relationship between the contaminated food and disease.”

Session two of the event featured Donald Schaffner, Ben Chapman and Lawrence Goodridge while John Donaghy, Michelle Danyluk, Ruth Petran, Sharon Brunelle and Kalmia E. Kniel took part in the third panel.

The summit was partially sponsored by Seattle law firm Marler Clark LLP. Founding partner Bill Marler is publisher of Food Safety News.

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Scientists led by EFSA have developed a way to judge possible effects of climate change on emerging risks for food safety. It includes scoresheets that characterize potential impacts climate change could have on a range of food safety-related issues.

The approach was developed in the CLEFSA (CLimate change and Emerging risks for Food SAfety) project. Experts from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, EuroCigua project, European Environment Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization, Joint Research Centre, University of California, UN Environment Programme, and the World Health Organization took part.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations attempted to quantify current and anticipated food safety issues associated with climate change in a report published earlier this year. In 2019, the World Health Organization warned climate change was likely to have a considerable impact on food safety.

Effect on occurrence and intensity
In 2018, EFSA launched the CLEFSA project and ran a survey to get insights on emerging issues potentially affected by climate change. More than 600 people responded, providing more than 240 issues. These points have been added to by a literature search, EFSA’s Emerging Risks Networks, and information from EFSA activities.

Sensitivity of germs, potentially toxin-producing microorganisms and other pests suggests that climate change could affect occurrence and intensity of some foodborne diseases. Surface seawater warming and increased nutrients input leads to the profusion of toxin-producing algae causing outbreaks of seafood contamination.

Environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity levels and soil can help explain the distribution and survival of bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter. Presence of norovirus in oysters from sewage runoffs caused by heavy rainstorm and flooding may also be linked to the increasing frequency of extreme weather. Climate change is considered a driver of changes in the occurrence of mycotoxins in Europe. It may also impact food hygiene, in primary production, storage, transport and distribution.

In a report on the project, experts said climate change is likely to drive the emergence of new hazards and increase the exposure or the susceptibility to known hazards.

“Climate change and its implications for food safety demand complex scientific work, given the number and diversity of hazards to be considered, the large uncertainties involved and the interconnections between the different areas,” according to the report.

Biological hazards and contaminants
The CLEFSA project analyzed more than 100 emerging issues for food and feed safety, plant and animal health, and nutritional quality and characterized 14 of them. It used a reference period from 1981 to 2010 and a near-future period from 2021 to 2050. The approach involved three phases: identification, characterization and analysis.

Issues related to biological hazards to human health included anisakis, Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella, Cryptosporidium, Yersinia, Listeria, E. coli, norovirus and Campylobacter. No issues with extremely low or high impact were identified in the near-future climate scenario. Likelihood of the issues in the future ranges from very high for Vibrio spp. to very low for Echinococcus spp.

No issues with extremely low or high impact were identified for contaminants under the near-future climate scenario. Issues included Ciguatoxins, Tetrodotoxin, Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone.

“The wide variety of issues identified and characterized in this report emphasizes the need for policymakers and other relevant players in the food system to consider adjusting surveillance and monitoring to prepare for emerging risks caused by climate change,” according to the report.

Registration for the virtual information session on Oct. 8 opens soon and is limited to 500 participants or those who sign up by Sept. 30, which ever comes first.

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The event, annually set in the first week of May, was postponed earlier this year because of the coronavirus outbreak. It was rescheduled for Oct. 19-22 in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, IL. Yesterday, however, the organizers said the COVID-19 pandemic offered too many chances for infections at an in-person event.

“Given the continued uncertainty around travel and the importance of health and safety for the entire food safety community, the difficult decision has been made to transition the upcoming in-person Food Safety Summit event in Rosemont, IL, to a fully virtual event Oct. 19-22, 2020,” said Scott Wolters, CEO of BNP Media, producers of the Summit.

The Summit is set to start with a session on “COVID-19: The New Normal for the Food Industry.” The four-day event will offer educational sessions along with presentations from exhibitors in the Solutions Stage and Tech Tent as well as networking with attendees.

The educational portions of the summit are planned to offer four two-hour workshops and 21 one-hour sessions. Four general sessions are on the agends. They include the keynote presentation by Will Daniels, president of produce division, IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group, who will discuss “Back to Basics: Consumer Focused Food Safety.” In addition, the Summit’s annual “Town Hall” discussion with leaders from the FDA, AFDO, CDC and USDA and a general session focused on “Foodborne Illness Outbreak Mock Criminal Trial – A View from the Jury Box” featuring Shawn Stevens, Food Industry Counsel LLC, will be offered.

Daily, from noon to 2:30 p.m. CDT, the virtual exhibit hall will be open.  Attendees will have the opportunity to attend live sessions from the Solutions Stage and hear from technology companies in Tech Tent presentations. From 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT the education and networking will continue. BNP Media is working with virtual events platform Intrado to deliver this learning experience.

Those who wish to only participate in the virtual exhibit hall and the general session each day can attend for free. All current Summit attendee registrations will be moved over to the virtual Food Safety Summit. Event organizers will contact those registered attendees with more information.

The virtual Summit is $299 to attend with the early bird rate, which expires on Aug. 31. Those who pay to attend the summit will have complete access to the entire platform, including virtual exhibit booths, all live and on-demand education sessions, the ability to participate in group discussions and networking events with colleagues and speakers.

Registration is now open at www.foodsafetysummit.com.

The agenda follows:

A European project involving foodborne zoonoses research held its annual meeting virtually recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second annual scientific meeting of the One Health European Joint Program (OHEJP) on foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging threats was planned for Prague in the Czech Republic, but the outbreak meant the in-person part was cancelled.

Organizers decided to host the meeting online with oral and poster presentations. Read part one of this article summarizing these presentations from the three-day event.

Oral presentations
Gina M. Duggan of Teagasc, investigated the shedding dynamics of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC).

Ireland has the highest rate of human STEC cases in the EU. The study evaluated STEC shedding in Irish sheep and examined potential risk factors underpinning shedding dynamics, as well as STEC serogroups, O157 and O26. Results found low levels of O157 and O26 super shedders in sheep for slaughter but a high level of STEC carriage overall.

Gianni Lo Iacono, of the University of Surrey, presented information on how the weather impacts Campylobacteriosis, as seasonality is poorly understood.

Using data from England and Wales, steep increases in incidence in early summer and inter-annual variations were associated with temperature, relative humidity, and day length. Risk was highest for relative humidity between 75 to 80 percent and maximum temperature 14 to 16 degrees C (57 to 61 degrees F).

Marieke Opsteegh of RIVM talked about a literature review to summarize studies from Europe on Toxoplasma gondii source attribution.

Expert elicitation indicated food as a more important source than soil and water. Quantitative risk assessments only addressed meatborne transmission. In patient reports, presumed sources were well water, contact with cats, unpasteurized goat milk, and different types of undercooked meat, however strong evidence for the most probable source was generally lacking.

The “TOXOSOURCES” project will perform a multi-country quantitative risk assessment, including both meatborne and environmental exposure to Toxoplasma gondii.

Poster presentations
Anna Czubkowska, from the National Veterinary Research Institute in Poland, assessed the occurrence of bacterial foodborne pathogens in raw cow’s milk in the country.

A total of 100 samples of raw cow bulk-tank milk from different dairy farms was collected in 2019. Yersinia enterocolitica was found in 24 percent of tested samples. Listeria monocytogenes was detected in 14 percent of tests. Campylobacter jejuni at 4 percent and one isolate of E. coli O157 were also identified.

Kathrin Hauser, from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, investigated the Klebsiella pneumoniae colonization of six healthy people during one year by analyzing one stool sample per week. In total 80 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from five participants were obtained.

Two individuals shared identical Klebsiella pneumoniae subtypes several times. This highlights the potential role of food as a reservoir to humans, as shared meals could be identified between the two participants in the corresponding time frame.

Violeta Di Marzio, from IZSAM in Italy, looked at multi-drug resistant (MDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae in chicken legs, ready to eat (RTE) salads, and carrots.

A total of 60 samples of chicken legs, RTE salads and carrots purchased in different retailers were examined. Ten Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were isolated in RTE salads, 54 strains detected in chicken legs and four in carrots. The percentage of MDR strains in chicken legs was significantly higher than the other sample types.

Exchanging signals of zoonotic events in Europe was the subject of a poster by Maria Nöremark, from the National Veterinary Institute in Sweden.

Sharing signals of zoonotic events early may be key to understand that separate cases are part of an outbreak and ensure that sectors such as public health, food safety and animal health at relevant local, regional, central or international levels become involved.

Notifiable diseases reporting is regulated but for some endemic or emerging pathogens and events other factors may trigger a signal, such as an unexpected increase of cases.

In six countries, interviews were held with professionals who receive and share signals of potential zoonotic events. Preliminary findings show informal contacts were very important and knowing someone in person facilitates signaling. A fear of overreaction from other sectors was described when signals were shared anonymously. Well-functioning and non-user-friendly computerized systems were described, as were legal barriers for sharing data.

A poster by Thomas Haverkamp, of the Norwegian Veterinary institute, explained detection of Campylobacter in broiler production using metagenomic analysis of air samples. Results showed that Campylobacter detection was feasible using shotgun metagenomics of air filter samples.

Laura C. Gonzalez Villeta, of the University of Surrey, had a poster on understanding the association between the most influential weather parameters – except temperature – and incidence of salmonellosis. Understanding why Salmonella incidence is conditioned to certain weather variables would have practical public health applications. Researchers will use models and develop a tool to predict likelihood of infection based on known weather variations prior to an infection occurring.

Pikka Jokelainen, from SSI in Denmark, is part of the TOXOSOURCES project on the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that runs until 2022. The consortium will look at the contributions of different sources, such as meat and ready-to-eat fresh produce, of Toxoplasma gondii infection to get the most robust estimates possible to inform risk managers and policy makers.

A poster from Beata Lachtara, of the National Veterinary Research Institute, gave an overview of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from food and associated production environments in Poland.

The 138 Listeria strains tested were collected during 2013 to 2019 from RTE food, raw meat and production environments across Poland. Results showed the population structure of Listeria was diverse. Seven different sequence types were identified among the tested strains that were grouped into three clonal complexes.

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The global annual initiative on June 9, established by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF), promotes accreditation including some related to food safety issues.

This year’s theme focuses on how such work supports food safety and boosts the confidence of consumers, suppliers, purchasers and specifiers in the quality and safety of food.

Accreditation helps ensure competent and impartial inspection, certification and testing services in local, national and international food chains. World Accreditation Day 2019 looked at the role of accreditation in supply chains.

Layer of assurance
In a joint statement, Xiao Jianhua, chair of IAF, and Etty Feller, head of ILAC, said accreditation helps improve food safety.

“It does this across the whole of the food supply chain from farm to fork, through food production, processing and packaging, storage and transportation, to retail and catering, helping build layers of assurance in the supply chain,” they say.

“Accreditation has a crystal-clear objective: it aims to assure businesses, end users and regulators that a conformity assessment body (CAB), such as a certification or inspection body, testing, calibration or medical laboratory, has the required technical competence and operates impartially. This competence is assessed by accreditation bodies against international standards and requirements.”

There is an international aspect to food and water production as ingredients and product parts may come from several countries, requiring more proofs of conformity to meet requirements of importing economies.

Accreditations awarded by IAF members include food safety schemes such as FSSC 22000, Global GAP Integrated Farm Assurance (IFA), International Featured Standards (IFS), and ISO 22000.

Close to World Food Safety Day
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO) and World Trade Organization (WTO), have previously highlighted the human impact of foodborne infections.

Jianhua and Feller said accreditation aims to support a reduced burden of disease through improving the performance of organizations in the food supply chain.

“Accreditation is used across the globe to help meet this goal: from the use of accredited certification in Australia through the PrimeSafe scheme for meat and seafood supply; to the European Union using the accreditation of laboratories to support food security in Europe; to accredited inspection to help commercial catering establishments deliver safer food in France.”

World Accreditation Day 2020 comes just two days after the second World Food Safety Day on June 7. A video for the former by ILAC and IAF can be viewed here.

World Food Safety Day (WFSD) will draw attention and action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development.

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The summit had been set for May 4-7 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, in a Chicago suburb. Organizers set the new dates as Oct. 19-22 at the same location.

This year marks the 22nd annual meeting of food safety regulators, academics and affiliated businesses.

“The safety and the wellbeing of everyone who attends the summit is paramount and with this unprecedented situation unfolding, we have a responsibility to our customers, our guests and our colleagues to provide a safe place for our exhibitors, attendees, and speakers to interact and communicate face-to-face,” said Scott Wolters, chief events officer of the event producer, BNP Media.

In a few weeks updates and other information about the summit will be posted on the event website at www.foodsafetysummit.com, according to a statement released by BNP Media.

Exhibitors and attendees will be contacted directly from BNP staff about details of the move. For exhibitors who have questions about the new dates and space contact Kim Hansen at [email protected] with any questions. For attendees who have questions, contact the registration staff at [email protected].

“Our thoughts are with all of those currently impacted by Coronavirus. The Food Safety Summit annual conference and expo is an important event for the food safety industry, and on behalf of the Educational Advisory Board, we are pleased BNP Media is able to reschedule,” said Gary Ades, chair of the Summit Educational Advisory Board and president of G&L Consulting. 

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Yesterday a top public health official said the virus, also being called COVID-19, is 10 times more deadly than regular seasonal flu viruses.

“Bottom line, it’s going to get worse,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said while testifying before members of Congress Wednesday at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

One action local and state governments are taking is the banning of events larger than certain numbers. In Washington state the top number is 250. In California groups of up to 1,000 are allowed.

Some large gatherings such as music festivals like the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin have been cancelled or rescheduled for much later in the year. Harvard is closing its campus and considering whether to cancel or postpone commencement services. Seattle has closed its public schools.

The same abundance of caution is forcing cancellation or rescheduling of some food safety events, too. The Food Safety News events calendar is being updated as information comes in about the status of government, academic and industry events. We’ve reached out to the organizers of those events scheduled for the first half of 2020 and asked them to let us know their plans.

Although not everyone has replied, we’ve learned that the Food Safety Summit set for  May 4-7 outside Chicago is still scheduled. The summit organizers at BNP Media said the 22nd annual event will go on at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. All educational offerings, networking events and exhibit hall activities are happening as scheduled. 

The leaders of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), who cancelled the group’s European Symposium set for April 7-9 in Munich, are still planning to proceed with the IAFP Annual Meeting on Aug. 2-5 in Cleveland, OH. 

“IAFP remains committed to moving forward responsibly with planning for IAFP 2020 over the dates of August 2-5 in Cleveland, Ohio. Based on information currently available, the meeting will take place as scheduled,” according to a statement released by the international organization.

The Institute of Food Technologists leaders say “this is a complicated and evolving situation that IFT continues to monitor closely.” At this time IFT leadership is still planning to go ahead with their annual event and food expo scheduled for July 12-15 in Chicago. 

“. . . we will maintain an open dialogue with our community and provide updates via the IFT20 website, the IFT20 exhibitor newsletter, social media, and dedicated emails to registrants and IFT community members,” according to the organization’s statement.

Organizers of these events and other food safety events are monitoring the spread of the coronavirus and will change their plans based on information from federal, state and local officials. Before you making travel plans, potential attendees are encouraged to contact individual organizations and keep an eye on the Food Safety News Events Calendar.

Some websites that have information for travelers include:

• U.S.. Travel Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization

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The Minister of Health and Families, Jesús Aguirre, opened the International Symposium on the Andalusian Listeriosis outbreak that sickened more than 200 people.

The listeriosis alert was started in mid-August and ended by mid-October. In those two months, the outbreak from “La Mecha” brand chilled roasted pork meat produced by Magrudis caused three deaths in elderly people and five abortions.

International involvement
Attendees heard about food safety, epidemiological surveillance, clinical management and healthcare organization, and microbiological diagnosis: identification and molecular typing.

A plenary session and two workshops covered the management of information and perspective of the consumer and patient.

The outbreak was reported by Spanish authorities to the World Health Organization, via the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) in late August.

In November, an operation named Monocy, was led by the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) with Europol’s support in connection with the outbreak. Six people were arrested and two people held in provincial detention without bail.

An investigation found individuals were aware in December 2018 that some food products contained Listeria but they did not inform authorities and continued to sell it. A total of 17 tons of food contaminated with Listeria was seized and incinerated in Cadiz, Spain.

France and Austria share Listeria expertise
The event, organized by the Ministry of Health and Families, involved Johanna Takkinen of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and Marta Garcia Perez from the Agencia Española de Consumo, Seguridad alimentaria y Nutrición (AESAN).

Marc Lecuit of Pasteur Institute in France spoke about the French experience of Listeria infections and Valentina Rizzi of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was part of a roundtable debate.

Werner Ruppitsch, from the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) spoke about typing tools for Listeria monocytogenes and Javier Tellechea, from DG Sante of the European Commission, helped to conclude the conference.

Jordi Castilla, from FACUA Andalucía, was involved in the symposium. The consumer group has a legal team representing some victims of the outbreak.

A total of 27 people are included in the case while 11 other cases could be added. Nine people have been rejected as the judge considered the relationship with Magrudis products and the Listeria was not proven. The judge of the Court of Instruction No. 10 of Seville, Pilar Ordóñez, is investigating the listeriosis outbreak.

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The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) recognizes students are the future leaders in food safety.

The scholarship will be awarded to two students living in Europe and enrolled full-time in a college or university food safety degree program in the region. Previous recipients are not eligible to apply.

Applications will be accepted electronically through Jan. 7, 2020, from IAFP student members.

The selection committee’s decision will be communicated to all applicants by Feb. 5, 2020, and the scholarship recipients will be formally recognized during the IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety.

Maria Gkerekous from the Agricultural University of Athens in Greece and Yifan Zhang of ETH Zurich in Switzerland received the 2019 European Symposium Student Travel Scholarship.

The deadline for individuals to submit an abstract proposal for presentation during the IAFP European Symposium on Food Safety is Jan. 14 with an acceptance or rejection notification by Feb. 4, 2020.

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Experts from scientific institutions, food regulatory authorities and businesses discussed zoonoses and food safety during a symposium at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on Nov. 4 and 5.

The two-day event looked at zoonotic agents, their occurrence and transmission along the food chain, and other aspects of food safety. Presenters came from the BfR, Robert Koch-Institut, Animal and Plant Health Agency in the United Kingdom, and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

Foodborne pathogens and viruses
Campylobacter in raw milk, Salmonella in eggs or Listeria in ready-to-eat foods often cause outbreaks and the latter usually includes an above-average number of deaths, according to information presented at the meeting.

Campylobacter causes the most bacterial foodborne infections in Germany, with about 70,000 cases a year, especially in infants and young adults. Outbreaks in recent years have often involved school children who consumed raw milk on trips to a farm or from milk vending machines.

One of the largest outbreaks in 2018 was also discussed at the meeting. It included 191 cases in several federal states and was caused by Salmonella enteritidis complex type (CT) 1734. The probable vehicle of infection was barn eggs. Results of molecular typing of pathogen isolates were used to discover the association with 24 smaller outbreaks. Strategies to reduce Salmonella in pork were also discussed.

German officials are still investigating a Listeria outbreak identified last year by whole genome sequencing with 37 people involved from 12 states. Chilled sausages from Wilke Waldecker Fleisch- und Wurstwaren are the suspected source.

Viruses in food are also becoming more of a focus and the number of hepatitis E infections in humans has increased significantly in recent years, mainly caused by insufficiently cooked liver and raw sausages.

Attendees also heard about a hepatitis A outbreak last year affecting almost 40 people traced to dates from Morocco.

BfR has developed FoodChain-Lab, which is open-source software for trace-back and trace-forward analysis in foodborne disease outbreak investigations. Work was started during the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O104:H4 in Germany in 2011.

Bacillus cereus opinion
Meanwhile, the BfR has analyzed existing literature and its own research on bacterial strains from the Bacillus cereus group. This group includes 18 closely related species that are hard to distinguish from each other.

The agency found that it is likely each presumptive Bacillus cereus strain is able to form toxins, although the amounts vary. These toxins may cause gastrointestinal diseases. One type of disease is characterized by vomiting and the other is accompanied by diarrhea. Both can affect people of all ages, are not infectious and rarely last longer than 24 hours. It is very rare for them to become severe.

Between 2009 and 2015, two to six foodborne outbreaks per year caused by Bacillus cereus were reported by authorities in the German federal states.

The opinion provides information about health risks from bacteria in the Bacillus cereus group in foods and lists preventative measures, to provide official food monitoring authorities in Germany with a basis for assessing contaminated items.

Surviving forms of these bacteria, known as spores, can be transferred to food via soil particles or dust, and survive extreme conditions such as heat or dehydration for long periods. Initial contamination of food with spores is often very low. However, they can germinate as a result of improper storage, and bacteria can multiply in food.

Heat treatments, such as cooking or pasteurization, kill bacterial cells but individual spores survive and germinate. Fast and sufficient cooling to less than 7 degrees C (45 degrees F) and/or heat maintenance to more than 65 degrees C (149 degrees F) is necessary after meals have been treated with heat, to stop germination of spores and multiplication of bacteria.

Warm dishes and drinks containing milk should be kept heated at temperatures above 65 degrees C, or cooled to below 7 degrees C within a few hours. Leftovers of cooked dishes should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within two to three days, according to the BfR.

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The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) hosted the first Latin American Risk Assessment Symposium from Aug. 27 to 29 while the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) held “The Science of Food Safety – What’s our Future?” event at the Convention Centre Dublin on Aug. 21 and 22.

The primary focus of the symposium in Montevideo, Uruguay was scientific assessment of chemical and microbiological risks in food.

Lessons learned from 2011

Speaking at the event, professor Andreas Hensel, president of the BfR, said global structures of production and trade are globalizing health risks

“The symposium offers a forum for sharing experiences and promoting the development of risk assessment as part of good practice in food safety in Latin American countries. We also welcome this opportunity to use the expertise of the BfR to benefit the South America region,” he said.

The meeting was supported by a host of agencies including the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Portuguese Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE), Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Chilean Agency for Food Safety and Quality (ACHIPIA), Uruguayan National Meat Institute (INAC) and Uruguayan National Agricultural Research Institute (INIA).

It was designed to generate strategies to expand state-run risk assessment and food control activities in Latin American countries based on risk assessment structures in Germany and Europe, as well as good practice in assessing microbial and substance-related risks.

Experts from Germany and Spain provided an overview of a 2011 enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) outbreak as it developed in their countries and the most important lessons learned. The incident was one of the most serious outbreaks of foodborne illness in Europe. It resulted in 53 deaths in Germany and 3,740 people falling ill.

Attendees also heard about the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and associated risks of medicine residues in food products, as well as the spread of antibiotic resistance in pathogens.

Two separate outbreak scenarios were simulated in workshops with delegates required to develop ideas and strategies to counter this kind of food safety crisis.

FSAI marks 20th anniversary

The FSAI conference had discussion on how regulators, inspectors, industry, scientists and academics can work in collaboration to use the latest science impacting on food.

The event focused on the microbiological and chemical safety of food, and public health implications, as well as what was required for effective regulatory controls in the future.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Bernhard Url, executive director of EFSA, said trust in science was important.

“Food in Europe has never been safer. This is because science plays a crucial role in the way the food system within the European Union is set-up. A system that is worth €4 billion ($4.4 billion) in turnover every year. Looking at the present and future challenges and the more and more pressing questions on how to feed a growing global population using less resources and restoring at the same time a degraded environment, I believe solutions are found again in the scientific process,” he said.

Pamela Byrne, chief executive of FSAI, said it was an important milestone in the evolution of food systems.

“Now more than ever with the increasing globalization of food and the creation of food in new ways based on scientific advancements, there is a need for increased focus on ensuring a secure, safe, nutritious and authentic food supply chain,” she said.

John Bell, director of the Healthy Planet Directorate at the European Commission, said current and emerging risks include climate change, new technology and a desire to restrict carbon outputs.

“We also need to ensure that our food safety system is future-proofed for the upcoming changes in production and consumption and that it generates trust, that it effectively helps citizens to make informed and healthy food choices, whilst transparently addressing new concerns,” he said.

“Future food safety systems and regulatory frameworks will need to enable change while remaining effective and transparent on risk assessment. Food safety research funding both nationally and at EU level needs to reflect this new context and be better coordinated.”

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