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Protection, Security at Forefront of Annual Food Safety Summit

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The 7th Annual Food Safety Summit and Expo will focus on the latest developments in protecting the nation's food supply from being compromised by any potential food safety or food security incidents, including everything from E-coli to Salmonella, to intentional contamination by terrorists.

More than 1,800 food manufacturers, food processors, restaurant executives and food retailers are expected to attend the Summit on March 16-18, 2005, at the Washington D.C. Convention Center. The Conference program has been developed in conjunction with the Food Products Association (FPA), the National Restaurant Association/National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), and Food Safety Magazine.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns will keynote on Friday, March 18th, followed by a "power panel" on the latest in US-Canadian agreements on cross-border beef shipments and BSE (Mad Cow disease). Leaders from both countries will discuss the state of beef imports in North America. Carlos Gutierrez, secretary of commerce and the former chairman and c.e.o. of Kellogg Co.; and Walt Freese, c.e.o. of Ben & Jerry's, have also been invited to keynote.

Over two dozen new sessions have been added to this year's program, including FDA's updated Good Manufacturing Practices; New Tools for Testing; HACCP: In Your Hand; CSI: Your Food Plant, Biotech and Food Safety; Predictive Microbiology, Biosensors, Nanotech; and, the Future of Food Safety.

On Wednesday, March 16th, the Food Products Association and Booz Allen Hamilton will present "Food Security & Bioterrorism: Tabletop Exercise and Simulation." At the workshop, front-line leaders in government, law enforcement, and corporate security will discuss protecting products, securing facilities, and watching suppliers and staff. Attendees will experience a "live-fire" drill where they will develop an actual response plan to a food security scenario.

The National Restaurant Association/National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) will sponsor the Restaurant and Foodservice Track. The track will provide cutting-edge, educational sessions to outline and address the positive and proactive efforts performed by the restaurant industry in maintaining food safety as a top priority. Educational workshops in the restaurant and foodservice track include: Train the Trainer: The Skills You Need to Motivate Your Team for Safety; HACCP In Your Hand: Mobile Data Collection and Monitoring Using Handhelds and more; Regulatory Reality for Restaurants: An Up-Close Q&A With Washington's Top Food Regulators; and, Building Food Safety Into Food: Advancing Quality and Safety Through Biotechnology.
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