Top Executives at USDA and FDA to Host Town Hall Discussion at Food Safety Summit

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Feb 22, 2012) - The Food Safety Summit is proud to announce a very special and informative Food Safety Summit Town Hall with Mike Taylor, Deputy Commissioner for Foods, Food and Drug Administration and Elisabeth Hagen, MD., Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Town Hall will take place at the Food Safety Summit on Thursday, April 19 from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm at the Washington DC Convention Center.

During this open forum, moderated by Gary Ades, Ph.D., Chair of the Food Safety Summit Executive Educational Advisory Committee (EEAC), Mr. Taylor and Dr. Hagen will address the most pressing issues for today and tomorrow in regards to regulatory agencies and the private sector. Both speakers will provide an update on the Food Safety Modernization Act, Auditing Programming, Funding Realities and shine light on what is coming up on the horizon for both agencies. This will be an interactive session, to post a question for either Mr. Taylor or Dr. Hagen click here.

Additionally, on Tuesday, April 17 from 1:00-5:00 pm the FDA and USDA will present an Interactive Food Defense Workshop with Government and Industry Representatives. Speakers will include a representative from the USDA's FSIS and the FDA's Food Defense Oversight Team; Hal King, Ph.D., Chick-fil-A; Richard Ryan, ADM Corporate Security; Bill Ramsey, McCormick & Company, Inc.; Randy Gordon, National Grain and Feed Association; and Craig Henry, Deloitte & Touche LLP. The objectives of this session will be to conduct a high level overview of the various food defense tools and resources that have been developed by the government, provide known industry leaders in the food defense arena an opportunity to share their stories on how these tools and resources have been incorporated into existing operations, and to give an update of the current status of the various food defense elements of the FSMA.

The final segment of the workshop will be an interactive facilitated exercise that will offer a glimpse into the function and utility of a recently completed food defense exercise program -- the FDA's FREE-B -- that was develop in collaboration between the government and industry food defense experts. This session will be broadcast live through the FoodSHIELD Portal supported by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD). For more information and to register visit (www.foodsafetysummit.com).

In addition to conference program the FDA will also showcase FoodSHIELD and their FREE-B program in a booth in the expo hall. The exhibit hall will be open all three days of the event with two Exhibitor Showcase Theaters on the show floor offering attendees complimentary education sessions. Sponsors of the Food Safety Summit include Gold Sponsor Siemens, Silver Sponsor Covance, Bronze Sponsor Alchemy and Collaborative Organization Sponsors NCCR and AFDO. For information about exhibiting and/or sponsorships please contact Chuck Wilson at 630-962-0078 or wilsoncm@bnpmedia.com.

About the Food Safety Summit
The Food Safety Summit is designed to meet the educational and information needs of the entire food industry including growers, processors, retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, regulators and academia. The Food Safety Summit will be held Tuesday, April 17 through Thursday, April 19, 2012 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Three full day pre conference workshops will be held on Monday, April 16^th. Details and registration information is available at www.foodsafetysummit.com. For more information, call 847/405-4000.