Program Outline (Draft):

7:30 a.m. Registration and networking breakfast

8:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction to Verification vs. Validation overview, Robert Brackett, Director IFSH

8:15 a.m. Criteria and Principles in Developing a Verification Testing Program, Jenny Scott, Senior Advisor CFSAN

8.45 a.m. Considerations in Setting Specifications and Action Limits, Katie Swanson, Retired Food Safety Professional

9:15 a.m. Overview of Statistical Sampling: Limitations and use to determine process control and lot disposition, Robert Buchanan, Director University of Maryland

9:45 a.m. Food Ingredient and Product Testing and Validation: Surrogates vs. Pathogen Testing, Pam Wilger, Global Senior Food Safety Specialist & Applied Microbiologist Cargill

10:15 a.m. Networking Break

10.45 a.m. Environmental monitoring and sampling (targets for microbes, locations, frequency), Deann Akins-Lewenthal, Sr. Director of Food Safety & Enterprise Laboratory Services Conagra Brands

11:15 a.m. Methodology Overview: New Technologies, fitness for Purpose Methodology and Matrix Validation, Tom Hammack

11:45 p.m. Networking Lunch

12:30 p.m. Food Safety Microbiology management in the up-stream value chain, Fabien Robert, PhD in organic chemistry Nestle

1:00 p.m. Considerations for Selecting Tools to Create Sampling Plans, Nancy Thiex, Consultant Thiex Laboratory Solutions, LLC

1:30 p.m. Legal Considerations: Negligence for not Testing vs. Liability with False Positives, Maile Hermida, Attorney, Hogan Lovells

2:00 p.m. Networking Break

2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Break Out Sessions – to include introduction to problems, working group solutions, concluding with solutions.

• Refrigerated RTE foods (multi-component deli salads)
• Low Moisture Foods (dry dairy powders)
• Fresh Produce (cut melon)
• Frozen RTE Foods (frozen desserts)

4:30 p.m. Panel Discussion – all speakers

5:00 p.m. Concluding remarks; adjourn, Chuck Czuprynski, Director UW - Madison

Synopsis: FDA’s final rule “Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food” requires that preventive controls be verified to ensure that they are consistently and effectively implemented. Verification procedures frequently take on the form of environmental and product microbiological testing. Establishing a testing plan is resource intensive and may create concerns regarding expense, effectiveness, and potential liability. In this symposium, speakers from government, industry, and academia will address considerations of where to test, testing frequency, rapid methods, statistical process control, role of environmental testing, role of existing literature and predictive modeling for validation, and responses to findings. Case studies will be presented and attendees will be engaged in break out groups to discuss strategies in developing effective testing programs.

Location: The symposium will be hosted at the Chicago Marriott Southwest Hotel in Burr Ridge, Illinois.

Conference Hotel:

A block of rooms is reserved at the newly renovated Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge. To confirm your reservation at the group rate please call 630-986-4100, ask for Reservations and be sure to specify you are with IFSH FRI Meeting. Reservations may also be booked on-line at www.marriott.com/chisw and entering IFDIFDR under Special Rates/Group. Group reservations must be booked prior to 10/01/19.

Book your group rate for Institute for Food Safety and Health here.

Crowne Plaza Hotel: Rooms can also be reserved at Crowne Plaza 300 S. Frontage Road, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. Go to www.cpchicagosw.com Enter your Corporate ID# 10205220 or call 630-325-2900 and mention the rate code IL8SE

Contact: Cindy Koschetz at ckoschet@iit.edu or (708) 563-8152