The 18th Annual Food Safety Summit Moves to the Midwest

ROSEMONT, IL--(Marketwired - Dec 14, 2015) - New Location, New Educational Offerings, New Exhibitors and New Networking Opportunities will all be part of The 2016 Food Safety Summit Conference & Expo taking place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois on Tuesday, May 10 - Thursday, May 12, 2016, with Certification programs beginning on Monday, May 9. The Food Safety Summit is a solution-based conference and expo designed to meet the educational and informational needs of the food industry including growers, processors, retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, regulators and academia.

"We are thrilled to be hosting The 18^th Annual Food Safety Summit in the Midwest for the first time where there are 30,000+ food manufacturers, processors, product developers, plant operators, and many other food industry professionals," said Scott Wolters, Director for the Food Safety Summit. "The Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board has put together a dynamic line-up of sessions and speakers for the 2016 Conference, which is packed with prominent subject matter experts within the food safety community who will offer the most up-to-date information on the most pressing topics facing the industry."

Highlights of the 2016 Food Safety Summit program include:

• NEW Certification and Training Courses - The Summit will offer four certification courses for attendees including two courses that are new to the industry, as well as to the Summit. The courses, which will all begin on Monday, May 9^th are: HACCP Certification Training; Preventive Controls for Human Foods (NEW); Seafood HACCP - Segment Two; and Food Safety Auditor Training (NEW).
• Integrating the Nation's Food Safety System Forum - This forum, developed by the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), is taking place on Tuesday, May 10 and will bring together high ranking FDA officials, state and local food safety program managers, members of the Partnership for Food Protection [PFP], Consumer Groups, and industry representatives, to discuss the continuing efforts and projects in place to integrate government resources dedicated to food safety in this country. 
• Breakfast & Learn Sessions - Join subject matter experts for breakfast and an opportunity to participate in an interactive conversation with leaders in each sector of the industry. Grab a cup of coffee, and a seat in one of these sessions focusing on retail, foodservice, manufacturing, distribution, and regulatory. 
• Keynote Presentation: The New Food Safety Environment - Join this interactive presentation between the regulatory community and the food industry, including - manufacturing, retail and foodservice, on Wednesday, May 11 from 9:15 - 11:00 am. Speakers include Glenda Lewis, FDA; Kathy Gombas, FDA; Scott Brooks, formerly with Kraft Foods; Joan Menke-Schaenzer, formerly with ConAgra Foods, Inc.; Jay T. Mayr, Reser's Fine Foods; and Gillian Kelleher, Wegmans Food Markets. The session will be moderated by Craig Henry, Decernis and Faye Feldstein, Deloitte Consulting.
• The 5^th Annual Town Hall will take place on Thursday, May 12^th at 9:30 am, and will offer Summit attendees the unique opportunity for a candid and interactive discussion on the latest food safety issues with key government officials. The Panel includes CDC's Christopher R. Braden, MD (CAPT, USPHS); FDA's Mike Taylor; USDA's Alfred V. Almanza; and AFDO's Joseph Corby, who will discuss the pressing issues of today in regards to regulatory agencies and the private sector. This session will be moderated by Gary Ades, President, G&L Consulting.
• Education Highlights - Over 100 industry leaders will present in two dozen education sessions focused on Food Fraud Prevention, Norovirus, Listeria, Pre-Requisite Programs, Process Validation, Active Managerial Control, Foodborne Illness Investigations, Social Media, Foreign Supplier Verification and more. The closing session with focus on Hot Topics and will include a panel discussion on Liability and Jail Time, Organic Food and the Impact of Acquisitions.
• Exhibit Hall - Over 200 exhibiting companies will showcase new products and services in the exhibit hall and dozens will offer free education sessions on the Solutions Stage. 
• Networking Events - The Summit will offer several networking opportunities including the opening night Welcome Reception on Tuesday, May 10^th which will take place on the exhibit hall floor and the Food Safety Summit Gives Back Networking Reception on Wednesday, May 11^th supporting Feeding America and featuring the Sani Awards™.
  
  

Registration is open and the full conference program is now available live at www.foodsafetysummit.com. 

About the Food Safety Summit
The Food Safety Summit is a solution based expo and conference designed to meet the educational and information needs of the entire food industry including processors, distributors, growers, retailers, foodservice operators, and academia. The Expo Hall will offer hundreds of industry vendors providing information on the newest products and services for the food safety industry. The Food Safety Summit will be held Tuesday, May 10 through Thursday, May 12, 2016 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Certification Courses will begin on Monday, May 9, 2016. Details and registration information are available at www.foodsafetysummit.com. For more information, call 847-405-4127.